Defying the Norms of Society
by brumal
Summary: Sasuke is part of a royal family and at 13, he was required to get a humanoid pet, pets which look like humans with animal ears and tails. He chose a fox and years have passed. Many bad things have caught them, what will the end be? [AU, Warnings Inside]
1. Following the Rules

**Warnings:**

**This is a shonen-ai fanfiction, meaning there will be boyxboy, or more specifically, SasuNaruSasu. If you do not like this pairing, or are sensitive to homosexual parings, please discontinue reading this at this moment.**  
**  
This fanfiction will also contain limes as well as character deaths.**

**Following this story may spoil the manga plotline for Naruto. This contains spoilers from chapter 345 and onwards. Do not read if you do not wish to spoil the later chapters.**

---

As the dust gently fluttered down from their suspension, flittered between the beams of light which escaped from the nearly drawn curtains, and swirled and danced around, black eyes watched them. There was nothing better to do, after all. No, actually, there were other things to do. But this particular boy didn't have to care for right now. After all, tomorrow was…

A soft knock on the somewhat flimsy wooden frame of his room made him look up from his oh-so-entertaining task. He sighed and unclasped his hands, walking over to the door.

"What is it?" he asked, somewhat brusquely.

"Sasuke-sama?" a voice from the outside asked.

_No, it's the princess of the moon, idiot._ "Yes? What do you want?"

"Itachi-sama wishes for your presence," he replied.

There was a small moment's silence. "I'll be there in a few minutes," Sasuke reported.

"Yes, sir."

The young boy turned around and slid down the side of the door. He crouched on the floor for a while before standing up and getting ready for a visit to his brother. A frown was fixed on his face as he changed.

Uchiha Itachi. Still blood from his own family. But still, Sasuke hated him, feared him, obeyed him… Wasn't it only five or six years ago? When he had returned from his rare lesson outside of the palace? Wasn't it?

Why did it seem so real then? Such images that blurred and sharpened, replayed and fast forwarded, mixed and churned, created dreams and nightmares… All of them. All those scenes, images, memories, senses, and emotions.

Sasuke looked back at himself inside his mirror, confirmed that he looked fine, and walked out of his room. The hallway was rather empty as he strolled down it, his shoes softly treading on the floor. His breath was even and calm, but even as he neared his brother's room, his cool exterior began to chip away slowly.

Every time. Every single time… Each time those equally black eyes gazed at him, Sasuke's world would turn colder than it already is. The things that happened around him? It all stopped, as if the entire universe had halted, just for their existence, side-by-side.

His throat became parched and he could feel a thin film of cold sweat mask his body. Sasuke clenched his hands by his sides slightly to calm himself, but even that did not help. He nodded curtly to the servants whom bowed to him and bade him a good afternoon, none of them noticing how tense he was.

Although his steps were brisk, the walk from his room to Itachi's seemed to be forever. And in that eternity, the massacre flitted through his mind again and again, like it usually did whenever he did not occupy his head with other thoughts.

---

_Kakashi had brought him out of the palace to train that day. He was supposed to learn how to stalk prey properly. But that was only the beginning. Later on, he would have to stalk enemies if it really came to be._

_It had been a long, tiring day, and young Sasuke, only seven at the time, was rather eager to go back home. Only a handful of his servants accompanied him that day. He could still remember them. All of them._

_Upon reaching the huge gates of the palace, Sasuke hesitated. It seemed rather quiet in there, but that hesitation only last a few seconds before he darted in. He could vaguely hear Kakashi calling out to him to be careful and not to trip, but he paid no heed._

_It was a frighteningly long time that Sasuke ran around the palace and did not see anyone. He wanted to see his mom and dad first, so he was running toward their room. But where was everyone? How come there were no servants in the hallways, as it usually is?_

_But the excited boy could not care less about the servants. He only wished to tell his parents of his adventure with Kakashi. Besides, it was late in the evening already. Perhaps they had retired early today?_

"_Mother! Father!" he kept calling, his face slick with sweat. His small mouth was shaped into a grin. Only his panting filled the air. He slowed down to a walk when he neared his parents' room._

_Shuffling slowly to the room, Sasuke finally realized how strange it was for the palace to be empty like this. Apprehension made him nervous, but Sasuke ignored that and wrenched the flimsy doors open._

_His heart clenched as a wretchedly familiar smell wafted out. He knows this smell. The smell that he was accustomed to while hunting. The smell… The smell of blood._

"_Mother? Father?" he stepped inside hesitantly, hoping that nothing bad had happened. But the blood… The blood…_

_It trickled over the floor, splattered on the walls, clung to his shoes, shone in the dark, dripped from hands… Hands that were not his own. Hands that were still warm. Hands that were alive. Itachi's hands. Itachi's eyes, gaze, glare, smirk, laugh…Laugh, mocking laugh…_

_The laugh that made Sasuke's eyes grow wide and his mouth part slowly. And made him scream, a scream that could not be heard. That made Sasuke's body shake, and his eyes spill with tears. That made Sasuke never forget… Never forget that scene._

_And when Kakashi finally caught up with the young boy, Itachi was already gone from the scene. Sasuke had watched him leave, brush by him, laugh at him. He watched him leave._

_He remembered being taken away from Kakashi, his face, as usual, covered in a mask, but his eyes clouded over. He remembered being taken away, not into the palace, but somewhere else. Somewhere safe. He remembered the lies that he was told._

"_Sasuke-sama… Your family is dead now. Someone attacked your family. They killed everyone. Itachi was away at the time. He is still alive."_

_Lies. Lies. All lies. All of them. Each one of them, they're lies! They didn't know he saw his brother. Why did they protect him? That man did not deserve to inherit the palace, nor the high title that his father held. He deserved to be dead._

_Were they blackmailed? Were they threatened to death and punishment if they said otherwise? Were they? But why? Why?_

_Uchiha Itachi. Of blood, of family, of kin. Sasuke hated him… Hated him._

_---_

He stood outside of Itachi's room. His jaw was tight as he knocked lightly.

"Sasuke-kun, come in."

He did so. He bowed at his brother and slid the door close behind him. Nii-san, is there anything you need from me?"

He didn't answer. Instead, Itachi motioned Sasuke to sit down by him on the cushion. The younger boy grudgingly did so.

"Tomorrow is your thirteenth birthday, correct?" Itachi's smooth voice made Ssauke swallow nervously.

He nodded.

"Then, there is something I'll have to tell you."

Once again, Sasuke nodded.

"According to the rules, all the men of high status, on their thirteenth birthday, must acquire a pet," Itachi explained, as if he expected Sasuke to understand what he meant.

"A pet, nii-san?" Sasuke asked as politely as he could. He was glad to hear that his voice did not shake.

His brother looked at him. "Yes, a pet."

"… A pet as in…?"

The older Uchiha sighed, as though it was a burdening task to explain it to him. "You know of the humanoid pets?"

"Yes. And what of them?"

"That is what you will need to acquire."

Sasuke's eyes lowered from their gaze. "I see. Then we will purchase one tomorrow, right, nii-san?"

"Correct."

"Okay then…"

"Read up on them and perhaps ask Iruka-sensei for some information on them. Be ready by the time the sun reaches its zenith. I will be waiting for you by the gate, Sasuke-kun," Itachi drawled. The way he said Sasuke's voice was so endearing, it made Sasuke want to vomit. It wasn't right. For him to call his name like that… It simply wasn't right…

This time, when Sasuke spoke, his voice wavered. "Yes, nii-san..."

The older one turned his head away slightly, hiding a small smirk. "Good. You may leave."

"Good bye, nii-san," Sasuke stood up, rather shakily, actually, and bowed again before leaving the room.

---

Iruka, Sasuke's mentor, hesitated when Sasuke had inquired him to tell him about humanoid pets. It was only a bit of hesitation before he walked over to his wall and drew out several scrolls.

"I see," he had said to him. "It is about time for you to…" and he had trailed off.

Sasuke truly enjoyed his two teachers. Kakshi was responsible for training him in all areas which were related to his physical health, training, and otherwise. And as Kakashi took care of Sasuke's physical health, Iruka took care of his mental 'health'.

Both were his personal tutors, and thankfully, neither of them were present in the massacre that day. But they knew, oh yes, they knew. But they could not say anything about it.

"You see, Sasuke-sama," Iruka said as they sat on a desk, gazing at a few scrolls. He began taking a sip from his tea while he explained. "When a male member of prestigious blood reaches the age of thirteen, they have the obligation of having a pet. Not a regular cat or dog, but a humanoid pet. They serve as a friend, bodyguard, and…" here, Iruka had a coughing fit.

See, that's why you don't drink or eat while talking. You get bad results.

Sasuke waited patiently as his teacher recovered. Once he did, Iruka had a rasping voice, and several times when he tried to speak, he coughed at random intervals. "Sorry, Sasuke-sama," he apologized through some coughing.

The boy shook his head. People choke on tea. That's normal. He glanced over at the scrolls. He presumed that they would give him information about how to raise a 'humanoid pet'. What _were_ they anyway? He had heard they were expensive and rather exotic, but he didn't know any more beyond that.

Iruka cleared his throat, "Sorry, as I was saying, you are required to get a pet. Usually, they stay with his owner until he dies or his owner disowns him, which is usually the case."

Sasuke looked at him with slight shock, though it didn't show upon his face. "Why would you want to disown a pet in which you have raised for so long?"

His teacher's face darkened for a moment. "Sometimes it becomes too hectic to raise a pet. They are needy, dependant creatures, after all. Young boys grow to be men, and men do not always have the time to take care of them. Sometimes… they become bored with them. There are more interesting things than taking care of a pet. There are meetings to attend to and other official and important events…"

_That doesn't sound very interesting…_ Sasuke thought to himself, but kept that comment back. "Then why just the male members? Surely, the females need more protection than a man does."

"That…" Iruka looked at him and looked away again. "That is…" his eyes wandered over to the open window. "Oh… Dear, Sasuke-sama, it's late. You don't want to be tired for tomorrow, do you? It's going to be your birthday, after all! You'd better leave now. Here are some scrolls relating to the care of the humanoid pets. You may want to look over them tonight, but don't stay up that late."

Sasuke took the scrolls silently. He didn't get many questions in. Or rather, Iruka seemed too distracted to answer. Or perhaps he was just avoiding them? No… Iruka would never do something like that. Why would he want to avoid them?

The boy bowed at his teacher before leaving the room silently.

Iruka watched him with heavy, half lidded eyes. An emotion close to remorse was shown, but he only looked away from the door.

---

"Humanoid pets can learn to speak if taught… though it is not known if…" Sasuke looked up from the scroll and yawned, interrupting his reading aloud. He blinked before returning to the scroll. "…Not known if they have more intelligence than that. It has not been experimented on, and neither is there any study on them now. It is presumed that they are the same as their mute counterparts, and are though to be as dull as they are…"

_How absurd. They assume something like that just because they're not human? Ha, maybe I'll experiment on my pet. Maybe he's smarter than a cat or something…_ Sasuke smirked slightly before continuing.

"These pets highly resemble humans, except for the fact that they bear ears and a tail. They were bred to have tails and ears of familiar animals, such as cats, dogs, etc…"

_So what they're saying is that the only difference in humanoid pets is that they have ears and tails? I think a cat would suffice better than that. How stupid. But wouldn't that be strange? Having something that resembles a human as a pet? Somehow it doesn't seem right…_ Sasuke's thoughts swirled around him as he went on.

"These pets tend to have a high dependency upon their owners, which makes them very hard to raise. However, if raised correctly, they will become lasting friends, as they are able to live as long, or even longer, than humans."

_The more I read, the more I feel like I'm going to be buying a person… How bizarre…_ Sasuke rolled up the scroll and stretched. It's been a while since he was shooed out of Iruka's room. He supposed he didn't want to be tired for tomorrow. Itachi might not be pleased. And heavens know what will happen if he is displeased.

---

The next day, Sasuke was found two hours earlier than Itachi had asked for him. Better safe than sorry, right? Fine, maybe it was a tad bit too safe, but Sasuke didn't care. As long as he wasn't late, he would be fine.

"Ah, Sasuke-kun," his voice made Sasuke turn around.

He bowed. "Good afternoon, nii-san."

"Good afternoon. Should we get going then? We don't want to be too late for your celebration dinner," Itachi stated and began to walk out of the gates, several servants trailing after him.

Sasuke walked by his side. When they reached their palanquins, he climbed in. The men carried them off. He frequently lifted the cloth from the window to see where they were going, but the route they took was not familiar to him.

It was not a long time before they came to a stop. Sasuke lifted the cloth in front of the palanquin and stepped out. They were in front of a rather nice looking shop.

"This is it, Sasuke-kun…" Itachi said before walking in. He scurried after his brother.

Inside, there were many large, metal cages holding a variety of different pets. They had clothes on, or what could barely pass as clothing. The man who was in charge of the shop immediately scrambled over and bowed many times to them.

"Itachi-sama! We have reserved the shop for you, as you had requested! Please, look around as you please," he said with a grin and he gestured around the shop.

"We would like to see the newest and best shipment of pets you have right now," Itachi said, his voice with the noble indifference dripping from it. Sasuke was doing all he could not to frown. He hated having to act as if he was high and mighty like that, but Itachi seemed to enjoy it thoroughly.

"Yes, of course! Of course," the man said, leading them to another room. This one was notably larger and cleaner. There were fewer cages, and the pets were in better shape than the ones in the main room. "These are all of them."

"Sasuke," the older Uchiha stated. No, it was more like a command.

Sasuke nodded and walked hesitantly into the room. All of the pets looked at him curiously. The sounds of the pets whining and yipping filled the place, but he did not mind. Each and every one of them didn't seem all that great.

Ones with cat ears, dog ears, some sort of exotic large cat mix. He sighed. Was it really necessary? He would much rather be back in his room reading, really. But he guessed that he better pick one out soon, just in order to content Itachi.

Further and further in he walked until he reached the very back of the room. Itachi and the shopkeeper were still standing at the door, watching him expectantly, or so the shopkeeper did anyway. Itachi just sort of stared at him.

Sasuke turned back at the cages and glanced over the pets. All the same… All the same… Brown fur, red fur, spotted, striped, long, short, curly, thick, thin… The young boy's mouth thinned into a line as he looked around.

A loud, obnoxious yip caught his attention. He was taken aback from the devastatingly bright eyes that gazed at him expectantly. He grinned, showing Sasuke exceptionally sharp canines. Selective breeding has removed his whiskers, but there were strange marks on his cheeks.

Sasuke raised an eyebrow at him but walked over anyway. He crouched down in front of the fox-looking thing, allowing his robes to fold around him. Sasuke looked at him dully. The creature continued to grin at him. His hair was yellow, absurdly bright yellow, but his ears and tail was tinted with a hint of orange.

The boy stuck his hand in between the cage bars and watched as the fox creature came closer. It tickled when the fox nudged his hand and sniffed it experimentally. Sasuke could see his tail swishing slightly as he investigated him.

He abruptly pulled his hand back when he felt something wet slide over his fingers. That thing had _licked_ him! Sasuke nearly fell back in shock. No one generally touches him, so physical contact with other people, or creatures, was rare. The fox seemed scared at the sudden movement and shrank back, his ears tucked back and soft whining coming from his throat.

The young Uchiha looked up when he heard his brother chuckling. Or rather, pretending to be chuckling. "Well, Sasuke-kun, it's this one then?"

What else could he say to Itachi? He couldn't say no if he had decided already. "Yes, nii-san..." he replied quietly, not really wanting the fox.

"We'll take him," Itachi told the man.

The shopkeeper bobbed his head greedily. "Good choice, good choice," he muttered. "He's about twelve or thirteen years old this year. If you want, we can give you all his information papers…"

Itachi nodded briefly.

The man bobbed his head like a parakeet and went out of the room to calculate the price.

Sasuke sighed silently, still looking at the fox. He really didn't want a pet. There was no reason to own one. Unlike many other children of his age, he never really _wanted_ anything.

Now the fox had recovered, rather quickly, and was curled up on the bottom of the cage, his face partially covered with his tail. His eyes peered at Sasuke curiously. The boy just stared back.

Itachi watched them both. Upon his face, there was a peculiar looking smile.

The man returned with some papers and told Itachi the price of the fox. The money was exchanged and the shopkeeper nodded happily.

"He's a good breed, and already tame. He should be no problem…" he said. From his own robes, the shopkeeper took out a ring full of keys and searched for the right one. It took a while, but eventually, he held up the right key. He requested for Sasuke to step away from the cage for a second as he unlocked it.

Sasuke did as he was told and watched from a few steps away. The man had a collar ready and a short leash so once the door was opened, he quickly put the collar on and clipped on the leash. Once the fox realized that he was allowed to get out, he stretched and stood up on two legs. He seemed tame enough and did not try to bite or scratch at him.

The boy took the leash awkwardly when it was offered to him. It didn't feel quite right to be holding a leash with something that looked so much like a human. He never liked slaves or things like that. Perhaps that is why he never wanted a pet in the first place. He felt as if he had taken away their freedom. All of the servants that were under his command had always had the freedom to go in and out of the palace as much as possible.

He leaned back when the fox began to check out his face. It was… a little too close for his comfort, actually. The fox made small whining sounds all the while, but he was smiling, so Sasuke really had no idea what he wanted.

"Let's go, Sasuke-kun," Itachi called out, still smiling sadistically. His robes skirted the floor as he walked out.

"Okay…" Sasuke called out after him and followed him. He tugged at the leash uncertainly and waited for his new pet to follow. The fox immediately bounded next to him, whining excitedly.

The dark haired boy walked hesitantly, still not feeling quite right. The fox didn't seem to mind, but only walked a bit behind Sasuke. He doubted that if he took off the leash, the fox would still follow him. He learns fast, doesn't he? Already, he knew who his owner would be.

Outside of the shop, Itachi was waiting for the two of them. "Do you want him to follow outside of the palanquin or do you want to get to know him better?"

"Uh… I… I think he can ride with me…" Sasuke said, his voice softer than usual.

"Okay then," Itachi quickly turned away and entered his own palanquin and the cloth was dropped, but Sasuke could catch that weird smile that graced his brother's lips. It made him shudder to think of that smile.

"Come on… Uh… Yeah, I'll give you a name later…" Sasuke told his pet and tugged on the leash again. The fox happily hopped inside the palanquin. Though both were the same age, the fox was about a head and a half smaller than Sasuke. He was small enough to sit on Sasuke's lap rather comfortably. Not like they really had another seating arrangement. The palanquin was only so big, after all.

Sasuke shifted uncomfortably. This was definitely weird. The fox kept poking his face around and sniffed him, just to get used to his scent. Several times, Sasuke nearly screamed in shock because the fox kept licking him on the neck and face. By the time they reached the palace again, however, Sasuke was accustomed to it.

"Sasuke-kun, why… Do you have a fever? You look awfully red there…" Itachi teased and laughed humorlessly before walking away again, leaving Sasuke with his pet.

Oh. It is going to be _such_ a fun time. Such. A. _Fun._ Time.

---

**Notes: Palanquin, huh? Do you know what it is? Well, Google it or something, because I really have no idea how to describe it to you.**


	2. Not 'It'

**A/N: By the way, I'll try not to overabuse my already limited Japanese, but I don't want to ... not use Japanese in this, because 'Lord Sasuke' sounds... Well, you know, it sounds... weird. So I'll keep it to a minimum, but you'll have to bear with me. **

**----**

Oh, heck yeah, this was fun. I mean, what else in the world could be as fun as this? Seriously man… Staring at each other? It's like the new fad! Right next to watching paint dry or watching grass grow! Simply wonderful.

"So… Uh…" Sasuke looked at his new pet, who in turn was admiring his new environment.

The fox looked back at his owner when he heard him talking. He grinned.

"Are you… Hungry or something?" the Uchiha asked, not sure if his pet would understand or not. But if they could learn to speak, then surely they can understand what you're saying to them, right?

And so it appeared so, because the fox began to nod uncertainly. His tongue came out as he licked his lips.

"Let's go to the kitchen then," Sasuke stared at the leash for a very long time. It was so uncomfortable to be dragging him around like that. He walked closer to the fox and found the clip for it. Quickly he unclipped the leash and took a few steps forward, looking behind him the entire time. The fox followed. No problem then. Besides, it made Sasuke less awkward.

In the kitchen, all the servants took a moment to pause from their work and acknowledge his presence. Today, the place was even more chaotic that it usually is, with everyone rushing to get his birthday feast ready. As a reply to their greetings, Sasuke nodded and went over to one of the chefs who were kneading a ball of dough.

"Excuse me," he started, but was interrupted by an overly formal and polite, 'Ah! Sasuke-sama! How nice of you to visit us!' Sasuke nodded absentmindedly at that salutation. "Is there anything for…" he paused. There was no way he was going to say 'my pet'.

So the chef said it for him. "Your pet, Sasuke-sama?"

Sasuke cringed at that. "Y-Yes…"

"Sure, Sasuke-sama. There are some scraps of vegetables over there if you wish to feed it…"

'It'. That made Sasuke rather irritated. His voice gained an edge to it. "I'm not going to feed him rotten food." Black eyes narrowed into slits as he grated the words out. Though this creature may not be as intelligent as humans, Sasuke still did not feel that anyone had the right to refer to him as an 'it' and feed it odds and ends of meals.

The fox's ear flattened at Sasuke's icy voice. He seemed to understand that his tone of voice was not a happy one. He whimpered a bit.

Sasuke's sudden change also had an effect on the chef, who began to apologize profusely and promised to make something very good for 'him'. When Sasuke stopped glaring a hole at him, he began to work furiously.

"Send a servant to my room with it when you're done," Sasuke told the cook, before redirecting his attention to his fox. "Come on…" _Seriously need to get him a name soon,_ Sasuke contemplated. "We need to get you out of those rags…"

The fox seemed unconvinced that Sasuke wasn't going to murder him or something because of his previous tone. Still, being a good pet, he followed him out of the hectic kitchen, where they were nearly ran over three times and boiled alive twice.

"Phew…" Sasuke breathed out in relief. There was a reason why he didn't visit the kitchen often. "Well then…" he turned around to see a slightly traumatized pet.

But seriously, who can blame him? Getting nearly cooked is not a fun experience. Still, Sasuke could not help but to be a bit sadistic and smile at his pet's discomfort. His dilated, blue eyes and mouth set in such a firm line was unbelievably cute.

"Come," he commanded and started to walk briskly in another direction. The fox trotted after him, looking around inquiringly.

His furry tail twitched a bit as he took hold of one of Sasuke's wide sleeves. The boy paused to see what was holding him back. He found the source of the tugging from his pet's loose grasp. Sasuke held back a smile and continued to walk, nearly dragging the poor fox along.

Once they had reached their destination, Sasuke rapped on the wooden frame of the paper door. There was a short pause before whoever was inside called out, "Come in, please."

Sasuke opened the door and walked in, the fox still hanging onto his sleeve. In the middle of the room, there was a young woman sitting on a cushion. She was surrounded by many colorful looms of cloth and threads.

"Sasuke-sama," she said politely and bowed.

"Hn," he said absentmindedly and gestured to his pet quickly. "I want you to get some robes ready for him by tomorrow. Or is that too early?" the inquiry was not asked to rush her in any way, but to allow her more time if needed.

However, that was mistaken and the woman looked taken aback. "Oh no, Sasuke-sama! It isn't too early! I can finish them by tonight if you want!" She immediately stood up and started to rummage through the cloth hurriedly.

Sasuke's open mouth closed when he realized that any objection he said would be useless. It's always been like that. Every time he asked someone something, they always took it the wrong way and nearly drove themselves to death to finish something he requested. He shook his head slowly. His fox merely glanced over at the frantic women.

"Sasuke-sama," she called out to him a bit breathlessly. "Is this color good?"

His eyebrow rose. The color… was pink. "This is… a 'he'…" Sasuke tried to explain. By this time, the fox had already released Sasuke's sleeve and had wandered over the room, looking and poking at the cloth.

Her response made him confused. "I know."

What? As in, "I know your pet is a he but I think pink suits him better"? Or as in, "I know it's a he, but I don't care"?

"Then why are you choosing that color?" he raised his hand limply and pointed lamely at the cloth.

"Well—" she began, but didn't finish.

"Here, I think this color is better…" Sauske turned his gaze onto his pet, who was now pulling out a long stretch of fabric. It was simple enough. White with orange thread lacing through it.

"But…" the tailor began.

"Yes," Sasuke intentionally ignored her complaint, "I think that color will suit _him_ very well. And perhaps this as well…" he strolled over to a loom of orange cloth with black trimming. The younger Uchiha cleared his throat loudly and continued to talk, "If you please, deliver the robes to my room by tonight, before the feast. I'm expecting more than two robes by tomorrow night. At least three… Choose _similar_ colors for the rest of them..."

The woman accepted defeat and mumbled a soft, "Yes, Sasuke-sama…" and sighed quietly.

Orange ears perked up when Sasuke walked over to him and shoved him to the tailor for measurements. The woman took out her measuring tape and a scroll to record the fox's measurements. Within a few minutes, they were done.

Sasuke thanked the woman and took the fox outside. "Your food should be done by now…" he muttered.

By the time they reached his room, Sasuke's sleeve was rather wrinkled. The Uchiha halted in front of his room and turned around to face his pet. "This," he opened the door, "is my room. Don't destroy it."

The fox walked inside tentatively, sniffing and looking around carefully. He seemed interested in everything. Blue eyes gazed over every single piece of furniture inside of the room before they settled back onto his owner again.

Sasuke gestured for him to follow. He led him to another door at the other side of his room. When he opened it, the two of them were greeted with a small hot spring. It was a private hot spring with walls surrounding it, and a roof and some windows to allow steam to vent out. "This is the bath," he pointed at a small wooden building next to the hot spring, "and that is the restroom. Remember it."

As if he understood, the fox nodded timidly before trotting back into the room to re-explore everything. Sasuke sat down in the middle of the room, where a small table was located. He propped his elbows onto the table and laced his fingers together while listening to his new pet whimper and sniff at everything.

A few minutes passed by when a knock on the door made both of them look up. "Sasuke-sama?"

"Yes?" Sasuke asked from his spot.

"Your… Uh, pet's food is done."

"Bring it in."

At the smell of food, the fox stopped running around the room and ran back to Sasuke, where he curled up. The servant bowed precariously with a bowl of ramen on a platter. He set it down and walked out, bowing again.

The fox peered over the table, eyeing the food, but did not reach out for it. His tail was twitching uncontrollably, so Sasuke knew he was using the last of his self-control not to attack the ramen.

"Do you know how to use chopsticks?" Sasuke asked his pet, holding them out to him. The fox bit the chopsticks but otherwise showed no interest in them. "I guess not… Sit up then." He pulled his pet up by his shoulder and made him sit up straight.

Bright eyes watched Sasuke's hand as he pulled up long strands of ramen and blew on them to cool them. Once he deemed it cool enough to eat, Sasuke shifted a bit and held out the noodles to the fox. His pet only sniffed the food a bit and looked back and forth between the chopsticks and Sasuke.

"What's wrong? You can eat it," Sasuke told him, offering the food again.

This time, the fox bit down on the noodles and slurp it up somewhat messily, causing some of the broth to splatter onto Sasuke's hand, but he didn't mind. He watched as his pet chewed thoughtfully on his meal and swallowed. The fox's face brightened as he licked his lips, whimpers and whines coming from his throat.

The boy's lips twitched into a nearly nonexistent smile as he picked up a piece of naruto from the bowl and fed it to his pet. He seemed especially interested in the small piece of food. The fox kept biting and licking the chopsticks for more each time Sasuke fed him a slice of naruto.

It was rather amusing, watching the small fox eat so much. Somewhere torn between disgust and interest, Sasuke continued to feed him until the bowl was empty. At this point, the fox had grown bold enough to actually pick up the bowl off the table and drain the broth as well.

Sasuke's eyebrows shot up when the completely empty bowl as set back down. "Wow. For such a small thing, you sure eat a lot…" he set the chopsticks back down and stared at his pet, who had curled up again, his eyes heavy with sleep.

"That's right, huh? You still need a name…" Sasuke sighed a bit. What could he name him? He didn't want a ridiculous name like "Fluffy" or something… Simply because that was… peculiar.

The fox stared back through half lidded eyes. He licked his lips again and shifted a bit into a more comfortable position. His tail swished around a bit as he started to fall asleep. He opened his mouth and yawned, once more revealing sharp teeth and curled, pink tongue, before snapping his jaw shut and making a small sound of happiness.

Sasuke's hand wandered over his head where he began to scratch and rub. A blue eye peeked through an open eye when he felt his owner pet him. He became more alert and started to nudge his head against Sasuke's palm. A smile stretched across his face as his tail continued to sweep the floor.

The Uchiha glanced back at the empty bowl on the table. "How about… Naruto?" he tested the name out.

You know something's wrong with Sasuke when he decides that "Fluffy" is not appropriate and goes off naming his pet after a food item… I mean, seriously…

The fox's ears pricked up and his eyes opened. He looked at his owner questioningly.

"I'll take that as a 'yes' then," Sasuke confirmed. _I wonder…_ "Naruto, can you say your name?" The boy began rubbing his pet's right ear. "Na-ru-to," he said slowly, looking at blue eyes.

Naruto opened his mouth and tried imitating the sounds. "Nyaaahh… Naah… Nyahruto?"

Sasuke chuckled lightly and rubbed Naruto's head a bit more vigorously. "That's good enough." He looked outside to where the bath was. From the small windows, he could tell that it was late afternoon. "Ah, shoot…" he made a small sound of annoyance. His birthday feast was only in a few hours.

He stood up and looked down at his pet. "Naruto."

Naruto glanced up when he heard Sasuke talking.

"Time to take a bath and get ready…" Sasuke went over to his closet and took out two robes and towels. He hoped that the tailor would finish the robes by the time they were done. Though that might take some superhuman speeds… "Come on," Sasuke called out as he walked into the bath. Naruto stood up and followed him sleepily.

The boy set down the robes and towels onto a nearby rock and locked the door. 'Locking the door' meaning putting a giant slab of wood across the front of the door, which kept anyone from opening it. Although, if one really wanted to, you could just ram it down. After all, the doors weren't all that strong.

"I'm going to suppose that you don't know how to bathe either," Sasuke said, slightly defeated at his pet's… uselessness. He lifted his hand and beckoned Naruto over. The fox walked over slowly and yawned. "Sorry, Naruto. You'll have to stay awake for a few more hours until you get to sleep."

The Uchiha began to pull off Naruto's clothing, which wasn't too difficult, except for the fact that Naruto kept trying to nip his fingers every now and then, just in order to show his displeasure. He didn't seem bothered by the fact that he was now naked.

"I get the idea… You want to sleep, but not now…" Sasuke muttered. "Not like I'm not tired either…" The dark haired boy began to take off his robes as well. He led Naruto into the warm, waist-high water.

The fox seemed reluctant to get into the water. He stood by the edge of the hot spring, whimpering. Sasuke sighed and picked him up before Naruto knew what was happening. He started squirming and yipping loudly. "Stop it… I'm not in the mood to drown you right now."

Naruto stopped moving around when he saw that the water wasn't very deep at all. Gradually, he adapted to the warmth around him, even though it didn't really make him happy to know that his tail was now sopping wet. He submerged himself until only his nose and everything above his nose was visible in the shallow water. He stalked over to Sasuke, who was sitting down and relaxing.

When Sasuke saw Naruto swim over, he reached for some soap and rubbed it until lots of bubbles formed. With one hand, he splashed water over Naruto's head and with the other he rubbed the soap into it, earning indignant squeaks from his pet. And so went the bath, half washing, half wrestling, until both of them were clean.

As Naruto stepped out of the water, he looked rather displeased. His tail was heavy and waterlogged and he was cranky. The strange thing was, after the bath, he seemed more energetic than ever. He shook himself dry, causing Sasuke to get wet again, right after he had dried himself off with his towel.

He glowered at his pet while blue eyes sparkled with amusement. Sasuke growled and grabbed the other towel, then snatched Naruto by the neck. He began rubbing his yellow hair with quite a bit of force. "How dare you get me wet!" he exclaimed playfully. Naruto started squirming and yipping again, almost sounding like he was laughing.

By the time they were finished, they were worse off than before they bathed. Both of them were flustered and sweaty.

Sasuke frowned. "So much for a bath before eating…" he complained as he pulled on his robes.

Naruto walked over to him with his own robe dangling from his hand. He whimpered to him, as if to ask Sasuke how to put it on. His owner took it and started to dress him with a serene face since his patience had returned.

"That should be good enough…" Sasuke muttered. "Let's see if your new clothes are here yet." He 'unlocked' the door and looked into his room. The bowl was removed and there was a white robe neatly folded on the table with a note.

Naruto followed him as he walked out and picked up the note. Sasuke skimmed over the note and laughed dryly. "I guess she couldn't finish all of them at once… Still, it's pretty amazing that she finished it so fast. She must've gotten help from the other tailors as well…" he shook his head slowly and picked up the robe, shaking it open.

The fox eyed it warily, peering over Sasuke's shoulder. "Let's see if it looks good on you, Naruto."

A short while later, after Naruto changed, Sasuke looked over his pet. "Nice…" he nodded slightly. "Let's go, Naruto. I think it's time for my birthday feast…"

Naruto's tail went haywire as he latched onto his owner's sleeve once more and followed him outside.

Night had already fallen and outside, the warm summer's air made it very pleasant. The stars, so far away, gazed down and offered their gentle light. And the leaves would rustle with the wind's embrace, and the grass would bend with the soft pattering feet of small animals.

And so the feast would begin, with many unexpected things.


	3. Lessons

Every single year, there would be a feast. Every. Single. Year. And every year, Sasuke had to attend it. After all, it _was_ his birthday feast. But every year, Sasuke would _sit _there. And _smile_. Not like he was seriously happy or anything, but he didn't have a choice.

Because every single year, Sasuke's birthday feast would consist of a few people. Sasuke, Itachi, and sometimes a guest or two. Usually those guests were Haruno Sakura and Yamanaka Ino. It… Well, you can tell that it wasn't exactly the most comfortable situation of the year, but there was no way to get out of it.

And so, that was the reason why Sasuke was so tense while walking toward the main room of the palace, where the feast would be held. So tense, in fact, that he didn't even notice Naruto calling out his name several times and tugging on his sleeve.

"S…Sas'ke?" he whimpered, concerned that his owner was completely out of the world. Naruto pulled harder on his sleeve and stopped walking in an attempt to make Sasuke notice him.

The boy's brows were furrowed and a deep frown was set in place. It wasn't until he felt Naruto stop walking that he finally acknowledged the fact that his pet was calling him. "What Naru…" he trailed off. Wait a minute… He just… "Naruto, what did you say?"

Sharp canines glimmered in the dim light of the lanterns as Naruto opened his mouth. A hissing sound came out of it until he finally succeeded in saying: "Saasss'ke…" His teeth clicked together when he snapped his mouth shut.

"When did I tell you my name?" Sasuke replayed the day through his mind. No, he doesn't remember _telling_ him his name. Then again, a lot of people _did_ call him. Yeah, 'Sasuke-sama' this and 'Sasuke-sama' that… The boy laughed lightly. "You learn fast…" He sighed and rubbed his forehead a bit. "What was it that you wanted, Naruto?"

The fox shook his head and whimpered.

Sasuke took a second to comprehend what he was trying to indicate. "… Don't worry about me. I'm… fine…"

He began walking again, with an unconvinced Naruto following him. Every now and then, he would whine a bit, but didn't do anything else. Rather, he didn't know what to do.

"Here we are, then…" Sasuke told his pet quietly. With some effort, he was able to twist his face into a smile. It wasn't the most pleasant smile in the world, but a smile nonetheless. And with that, he walked into the huge room.

Both of them were bombarded with a storm of greetings. Most of them consisted of variations of Sasuke's name and some of them were a mixed hurricane of birthday wishes. Naruto shrank back at the noise while Sasuke just smiled and nodded. The boy looked back at his frightened pet and gave him a reassuring look before walking in.

"Sasuke-kun!" two female voices called out as he strolled over to the gargantuan table filled with more than enough food.

"Sakura-hime, Ino-hime…" he replied hesitantly. If he had a fan club, and he was sure that there was probably one out there, these two would probably be the leaders of it. Sasuke took a step back when the two of them leaned in and offered him their presents for him. "T-Thanks…" he took them and handed them to a passing servant.

Just as soon as the two boxes passed his hands, Sasuke found himself being dragged to the table. Naruto had let go of his sleeve the second the two girls came over and was now trailing after the three of them desolately.

Sasuke sat down, somewhat dazed, as the two girls began chatting and giggling. Itachi was at the head of the table, gazing at Sasuke with piercing eyes. The younger Uchiha could feel sweat roll down the back of his neck. He really, really hated the birthday feast.

When Itachi cleared his throat loudly, the two girls stopped talking and the servants returned to their posts. The entire room fell silent. Itachi had a short speech ready for this occasion, as he had for every year, and like usual, Sasuke only nodded at random intervals and pretended that he was listening. In reality, he was really stressing out.

"… Isn't that right, Sasuke-kun?" Itachi ended his speech with a question directed at him.

"Oh…" Sasuke faltered. "Could you repeat that please? I was distracted by the lovely ladies over there…" he cringed inwardly at his lie. He hoped that it would work.

Itachi laughed. What a chilling laugh. It seemed warm and welcoming, but the way his eyes stared at Sasuke, it was terrible… So terrible. "Then it seems you may be on the right track. Since you are thirteen now, it is about time to be interested in girls… In a few years, you'll be able to marry one of them, maybe." A thin smile was placed on Itachi's lips.

Sasuke forced himself to laugh as well. "Yes, nii-san. Perhaps I will be lucky."

"Well then, should we begin the feast?" Itachi smiled at the three, well four if you counted Naruto, of them and gestured for them to begin.

The meal was full of empty conversations. Sasuke had a few distracted conversations with Sakura and Ino, and even one with Itachi, but most of his attention was directed to Naruto. Whether to just avoid having to be prim and perfect, or just because Naruto needed food, Sasuke could not decipher.

Between bites of food, the fox kept peering over the table to where the two girls were at. He constantly chewed on the chopsticks and wouldn't let go of them when Sasuke tried to yank them out. Obviously, he was distracted by _something._

"What's wrong, Naruto?" Sasuke asked. His left hand started to rub Naruto's furry ear again.

The fox whined and flicked his ear out of his fingers and pointed at the pink haired girl. His tongue flicked out as he licked off some sauce on his lips.

"What? Sakura?"

"Saah… Sakuraaa…?" Naruto repeated slowly.

"Yeah, what about her?"

Naruto made small yipping noises and Sasuke could only assume that he was happy or something. He sighed and continued to eat.

There was too much food. _Always_ too much food. The table was made to seat at least ten people, but there were only five of them. And the entire length of it was covered in various dishes of food. Sasuke hated his feast for this reason. It was such a waste of food.

And so, an additional hour or two of concealed torture passed for Sasuke before the food was… Actually, the food was _not_ finished. More than half of it was still unconsumed. Alright, so it was another hour or two before Itachi finally decided that the feast was long enough and sent the two girls home, with Sasuke to escort them out.

Both of them giggled and blushed as they, once again, wished Sasuke a happy birthday. The fox lurked behind him, staring at Sakura as they left. Finally, after hours and hours of sitting across from him, the girls noticed Naruto.

"Aw, he's so cute! What's his name, Sasuke-kun?" Ino asked in feigned interest. Her eyes weren't even looking at Naruto.

"So adorable!" Sakura agreed readily as she took a step closer to the two of them, holding out her hand.

"His name is Naruto…" Sasuke answered quietly. He could tell from Sakura's hesitant hand that her action was done so in order to get closer to himself, and not Naruto. Every time Naruto tried to sniff her hand, she would furrow her eyebrows together and pull her hand back.

"Well," the pink haired girl said hurriedly. "Ino and I must return to our homes now. Happy birthday, Sasuke-kun!"

"Ah…" he replied and waved a bit. Naruto's ears dropped as he saw them leaving.

Quickly, Sasuke began to walk away. He _swears_ that they must stalk him or something… Besides Itachi, they were the only ones who were bold enough to call him "Sasuke-kun" and sometimes, behind his back of course, "Sasuke-_chan_". For crying out loud, he was _not_ a 'chan'!

He shivered at the memory of accidentally hearing them squeal about 'cute, Sasuke-chan' one day. Sasuke shook his head and continued to march toward his room.

"Saasuke?" Naruto asked uncertainly, still not quite accustomed to speaking.

"Hn?" The dark haired boy snapped out of his horrifying thoughts and glanced over at his pet.

"Sakura… Sakura… Nnnn…." The fox shook his head angrily at his lack of vocabulary and resorted to hand gestures instead. He pointed at Sasuke and tilted his head questioningly.

Several seconds of trying to interpret what Naruto was saying passed. Then it dawned onto Sasuke. His face paled.

"What are you thinking? Of course not!" Sasuke's usually calm demeanor changed abruptly as he stormed away quickly.

Naruto whined as if trying to apologize and his ears fell. His tail drooped as he ran after Sasuke. His eyebrows furrowed as he opened his mouth and began to whimper. Sasuke shook off his hand when he clutched at it, but he didn't give up.

Eventually, he caught up with Sasuke in his room. He was sitting on his zabuton with his back facing the door. After a bit of prodding and face licking, his owner gave up. His expression softened and his eyes drooped.

"Sorry, Naruto. Just too tired today… Besides, that was a scary thought…" he laughed a bit and stood up. "Let's get ready for bed, okay?"

His fox nodded a bit and followed him to his closet.

"Alright, do you want to learn how to undress?"

Naruto sat down at watched as Sasuke tugged and pulled at various places of his robes. Soon, he was left in his undergarments.

"Okay, you try."

He wasn't very successful. Rather, he got everything in a giant mess before Sasuke helped him. Somehow, Naruto succeeded in tying _knots_ with the cloth. How was that even possible?

"_No,_ biting it will _not_ get it loose. Try again… _No_ biting! Stop biting the cloth!" Sasuke growled.

And then, a bit more of pulling the robe from sharp teeth and a tad bit more of tearing cloth from vice grip passed before _finally_ Naruto was undressed as well.

"Lesson Two: Dressing. Let's not kill our robes this time… Watch carefully and don't daze off," Sasuke commanded as he took out his sleepwear.

Once again, it took them another fifteen minutes or so before Naruto got his own robes on. It was going to be a long and arduous journey to the completion of Lessons One and Two. By the time they were done with changing, Sasuke was exhausted, but Naruto was hyper as ever.

The Uchiha let out a long sigh. "Now… What were we doing? Oh. Right. _Sleep._" He walked over to his already laid out futon. _Wait… Shouldn't there be two? One for me and one for Naruto… Right? Where's the other one…_ Sasuke sighed again. "Naruto… seems like we'll have to share a futon. You're okay with that, right?"

Naruto nodded absently and began time to re-examine his room again. He started to poke his nose into everything, and when things got a bit dusty, he sneezed. Because of his short stature, he had to stand on his tip toes on several occasions and investigate the tops of some cabinets and drawers.

"Fine then. Time to sleep. Come on, Naruto…"

Sasuke crawled under the covers and turned to one side, ignoring his pet and hoping that he would walk over soon. He didn't. Naruto continued to whine every now and again and poke at something. The sounds of wobbling things, falling things, sneezing, whining, footsteps, _crashing_ things, _breaking _things filled the room until Sasuke was fairly irritated.

The boy huffily stood up, stormed over to his pet, hooked his elbow around his neck, and dragged him back to the futon, where Naruto was thrown down. Before he could stand up again, Sasuke kept him down with his palm and crawled back underneath the sheets. As Naruto struggled and thrashed about, Sasuke slipped one arm around his neck and threw a leg around his waist, effectively trapping the smaller fox.

"Go. To. Sleep." Sasuke command in a low, ominous voice. His breath warmed Naruto's hair as he spoke.

The fox tried to break loose from his master's grip by biting his arm, but was harshly stopped with a loud, "No biting!" so instead, he gave up and waited for Sasuke to fall asleep and let go of him.

But as the moon continued to shine, and the stars continued to sparkle, Naruto continued to get more and more tired. So by the time Sasuke had fallen asleep, so had Naruto.

And thus, ended the very first night for the two of them. A rather hectic day had passed, and it was stressing for both of them. With Naruto with his new environment and Sasuke with his messed up brother, it wasn't all that great. But it wasn't terrible either. After all, now they have each other. Right?

So we all assume.

---

When the darkness gave way to welcoming light, the birds outside began to disturb the peace with their singing. Naruto was the first to wake. He found something rather heavy and warm draped across his neck and waist.

That's when he remembered that he was no longer in a cage. The fox shifted a bit until he was facing Sasuke, who was still knocked out. His tail began to swish a bit, causing the blanket to flap about. Happy, muffled yipping noises bubbling from his throat as he began to paw at Sasuke's chest and licked his face.

He received a groan as his owner turned away from him. His eyebrows had already furrowed together in annoyance, and he wasn't even awake yet! But even this action would not deter his ever persistent pet, who had now leaned over him and began shaking his shoulder.

"Nnrgh… Okay, I'm up… I'm up…" the dark hair boy moaned and yawned. He let out a long breath as he rubbed his head a bit and sat up, causing Naruto to sit back and observe his awaking owner.

The fox sat there for three seconds flat before he pounced on Sasuke and began to lick his face, whining cheerfully.

"Right, right. Good morning to you too… Why are you so overexcited already? Crazy thing…" Sasuke complained as he pushed him off and stood up, stretching a bit. "Let's go, Naruto. Time for the morning bath…"

Now, Sasuke liked taking a bath in the morning and a bath in the evening. Because, after all, cleanliness equals godliness, right? No, not really. He just enjoyed sitting in the warm water until his skin turned all wrinkly and stuff. Naw, that's a lie too.

Sasuke enjoyed taking a bath in the morning so that he could stay in there and doze off a bit before he dragged his reluctant self out and face the world. The bath at night was to clean himself off from all the dirt and dust that would stick to him during training. He decided that it would be a good habit to teach his pet.

"Naruto? Do you remember how to undress?" the Uchiha asked distractedly as he spotted another neatly folded set of robes on the floor. Another note accompanied the new clothes. They were from the tailor again. He raised an eyebrow as he picked up a girly looking collar on top of the robes. A fist formed as he crumpled up the paper after he read it.

As Sasuke picked up the collar, the bell attached to it jingled. "'Especially made for your pet since the last collar seemed ratty', huh…?" Sasuke quoted the note and examined the light orange collar. It certainly looked better than the one Naruto was wearing right now, but still… It was so _girly._

Naruto walked up to him, sniffed the collar, and nodded, answering his owner's previous question.

"That's good," Sasuke said, petting him on the head and retrieving some new robes for himself, the new collar still in hand.

Once in the room, both began to undress. At least Sasuke did. Naruto just began biting the robes.

"Naruto." Sasuke said firmly and grabbed the cloth from his teeth. "No biting."

Naruto whimpered at the reprimand and let go of the cloth. His fingers fumbled with the robe until he clumsily took it off. He was rewarded with a pat on the head.

"Good job. Now if you just manage to get your robes off without tearing half of it to shreds…" Sasuke said sarcastically.

This time, Naruto didn't have to be dragged into the water. After the first time, he took a small fancy for the warm waters. He also gained a liking to splashing Sasuke with the water until he got mad enough to stuff his head underwater. Well, he liked doing that until Sasuke shoved his head underneath the water. He stopped doing that after a while.

"Lesson Three," Sasuke told a sputtering Naruto. "Washing yourself. Here's some soap." He handed the soap to Naruto, who took it after he was done coughing.

Naruto opened his mouth and stared at the soap for a while, completely oblivious to what he should do. So he stuck out his tongue.

"Wha— No! Don't _lick_ the soap!" Sasuke exclaimed and took the slippery soap from him. Clear blue eyes looked at him questioningly. "Just… rub it over yourself. Like this." Sasuke demonstrated the action of washing himself before handing the soap back to his pet.

Lesson Three was much smoother, so to speak, than One and Two. Beside the fact that the soap kept flying out of Naruto's grasp, it was nice. Yeah, that and nearly eating it on several occasions as he tried to pick it up with his teeth.

Because of Naruto's tail problem, he had to sit at the shallow end of the hot springs and let Sasuke clean that off. There was no way he could have washed his own tail. But even that proved troublesome because Naruto kept wagging his tail as Sasuke cleaned it. It tickled him.

"Na-Naruto!" Sasuke complained. "Stop! You're flinging soap and water all on me!"

Naruto looked at his owner amusedly but stopped wagging his tail. Or so he tried. Another minute or two passed until they were done.

"Well… That went fairly nicely!" Sasuke said as he dried himself off. Naruto didn't have trouble with this part, thankfully. It was beginning to appeal to Sasuke that he was taking care of an infant or something. "So, Naruto. You can dress yourself now, right? Oh… That's right. Hold on…"

Sasuke went over to retrieve the collar he had set down when they first entered. Since he had already removed Naruto's old collar, all he had to do was to put on the new one. It fit him very nicely, except for the bell, but Naruto didn't seem to mind. Now every time he moved, there would be a small chiming sound that accompanied that movement. "Alright, get dressed then…"

Again, the two of them had to wait around for an extra five minutes before robe-challenged Naruto was dressed. Sasuke was very much convinced that he was late enough to get Iruka angry, and he was usually a very mellow guy.

Back inside Sasuke's room, there were two breakfast trays left on the table. They were the same so Sasuke was content with that. The cook from yesterday must've informed everyone else about the predicament. However, seeing that they were not in the time era of spoons and forks yet, Naruto had to deal with chopsticks.

Although Sasuke was late, there was no way he was going to rush off to class without having a light breakfast. Most important meal of the day, right? But it seemed like fate was conspiring against him, because he had apparently forgotten to teach Naruto how to hold chopsticks last night.

"Lesson Four. You have three minutes to learn it. Hold the chopsticks," Sasuke said with a full mouth as he gave Naruto his own pair of chopsticks. While he was chewing his mouthful of food, Sasuke demonstrated the art of holding chopsticks, in which Naruto gauchely imitated. He could _barely_ pick up anything to eat, so in the end, Sasuke just shoved everything into his mouth and took off.

As Sasuke literally dragged Naruto down the hall, his own mouth still occupying a bit of rice, the fox became irritated. It wasn't his fault he didn't know how to do anything yet. It wasn't a great way to start the morning being rushed to death then nearly choked with food. On several occasions, he bit and nipped at Sasuke's arm.

"My deepest apologies, Iruka!" Sasuke gasped as they rushed into the room without knocking. Since his back was turned to the door, this resulted in the teacher dropping a small stack of papers that he was reading.

"Oh! Sasuke-sama… You're a bit late today…" he didn't look up at him while he picked up the papers.

"Seriously, Iruka… I keep asking you to stop calling me that…" Sasuke yelped when he felt something clamp down on his hand especially hard. "Ech! Don't do that! No biting, Naruto! Bad Naruto!" he said in a loud, firm voice.

The fox growled a bit but didn't bite anymore. He just turned away from his owner.

"Naruto? Who's that…?" Iruka asked as he stood up again and finally looked at Sasuke. "Ah… Is that Naruto?" he inquired as he spotted the fuming fox.

"Uh, yes…" Sasuke replied while rubbing his hand.

"Perfect. I have his papers right here," Iruka held up the stack of paper.

"What papers?" the dark haired boy asked as he walked into the room.

"His papers," the teacher pointed at the hunched over form behind Sasuke. "Naruto's papers. History, age, blood type, birth day, parents, and other miscellaneous information. Itachi-sama gave them to me."

"And why didn't he just hand them over to me…?"

"That's because— Whoa! Hey, don't touch that!" Iruka began explaining but stopped abruptly when he spotted Naruto holding a scroll and opening his mouth as an action to start chewing on it. "Hey! Drop that!"

"Naruto!" Sasuke snatched the all-important scroll from his pet's hand and glared at him.

As Iruka rushed over to their side of the room, he sighed in relief. "Definitely don't want to get this scroll ruined. It's one of the most highly treasured scrolls in the entire palace. I must've left it here on accident…" he told them as he tucked it in a cabinet and locked it. He shrugged. "I'd better look for some other ones that I may have displaced…"

Sasuke's face cleared after a while. "Oh, that's right. Iruka, I have a favor to ask you…"


	4. Something Missing

"Yes, Sasuke-sa—" Iruka caught himself and cleared his throat. "Yes, Sasuke? What is it that you need from me?"

A slight smile squirreled it way onto Sasuke's lips. The boy prodded Naruto, which made him look up, which made the bell on his collar jingle, which made Iruka look at the collar. "This little thing needs some education. I'm not as patient as ever, so I was wondering if you could help me out…"

"With what?" his teacher looked at him curiously, averting his eyes from the distracting little ornament.

The boy shrugged. "I'm not sure. Talking, for one thing… Maybe if he can learn more, he can follow my old schedule from a couple of years ago…"

There was a moment of silence while Iruka thought over it. "Well… I don't see the trouble with that. You can leave him here while you're training with Kakashi-sensei."

"That sounds nice." Sasuke's eyes glazed over as he thought about that for a second. He regained focus after a bit and nodded. "That works out well. Thanks, Iruka."

"No problem with that. Should we begin our lesson then?"

At first, Naruto was actually left alone to roam around the room. Three torn scrolls, one broken brush, five spilled cups of tea, and four cracked ink stands later, he was forced to sit in Sasuke's lap. For both Iruka and Sasuke's sanity.

But even that ingenious plan did not prove its usefulness either. The mischievous fox kept sticking his nose onto Sasuke's scroll, biting his brush, and licking his face afterward. Sasuke ended up with some… interested face designs.

"Okay!" Sasuke exclaimed, picking Naruto up with some effort. "Iruka, excuse me for a moment, please. I need to… take him somewhere…"

"Uh… Alright then…" Iruka looked up from the table and watched as his student dragged his pet outside.

---

"Sa—Sas'ke!" Naruto yipped and complained as he was pulled along at an incredible speed. He tripped along the ground.

"Be quiet, you little critter…" Sasuke mumbled as he walked along the fringes of the palace. He walked out of one of the gates, stopped, and looked around before continuing their 'stroll'.

They continued their walk around the boundaries of the palace until they reached a small forest looking area. The Uchiha grumbled for a while and kept glancing between the trees while Naruto just kept growling and making other fox-ish noises.

"Kakashi! Kaka_shi_!" Sasuke began calling out, startling his pet quite a few times until he grew used to it. Sasuke's lips started to twitch into a scowl when something suddenly fell from the trees.

"Yo," said the lump which quickly formed into a human being. Wild, silver, gravity-defying hair stuck out at odd angles and a closed eye looked at them. Half his face and his left eye were both covered with nicely angled cloth. "You called?"

Sasuke continued to scowl. "Yeah, I did."

Naruto peeked out from behind Sasuke's shoulder. He figured his owner wasn't a very effective hiding place. Even his small stature could not hide from Kakashi's curious eye. His ears were flat from the sudden appearance of this man.

"Hey, he's cute. New pet or something?" Kakashi inquired with a carefree voice. He poked his hand at the curious fox. With his index finger, he poked Naruto on the nose gently.

Sharp teeth immediately showed and hid themselves again as Naruto chomped down on Kakshi's finger. The fox looked pleased with himself.

"Ow," the teacher said in a monotone voice and quickly withdrew his finger. "He needs a little work, doesn't he?"

"Yes," Sasuke said flatly. "And you're going to help."

"What? Me?" Kakashi pointed at himself innocently.

"Yes, you, Kakashi." His expression made him look dead serious.

The older man's laugh rang through the forest. "Always so solemn, Sasuke!" Kakashi mussed up his student's hair and continued to laugh.

A vein pulsed on the side of Sasuke's forehead. "Anyway, I was hoping that you could take care of him while I'm in Iruka's class. He's too hyper for his own good. Wear him out or something and when I'm done over at Iruka's you can switch or something like that…"

"… You're telling me to baby-sit him?" Kakashi asked him dully.

Sasuke shrugged. "Well, _I_ would call it training. _You _can call it whatever you want. Okay then, see you later…" The boy turned to Naruto. "Be good," and with that he left.

"Hey, wait! What's his name?" The man yelled after his student.

"Naruto!" Sasuke yelled back and scurried out of there.

"… So… Naruto. How have you been today?"

---

"Class went rather well today!" Iruka said as they both stood up. Under his breath he muttered, "After Naruto was taken away…"

"Yeah… I suppose. Bye, Iruka, see you later. I'll probably have to take Naruto back over here in a moment."

"Ah." The teacher paled a bit but turned away before Sasuke could see. He nodded.

"Okay then…" Sasuke bowed and left the room. He didn't take long to find where Kakshi was. It _really_ wasn't that hard. Seriously, the wild screaming and yipping sort of gave it away.

So when he walked into the clearing where they were, he wasn't all that surprised. Kakashi was sitting on a stump, reading some sort of book which he always carried around. Naruto was hanging upside down from a tree with a rope around one of his legs. He thrashed about wildly, trying to get loose.

"What did you do that for?" Sasuke pointed at Naruto accusingly.

"It was just a test. He failed." Kakashi answered nonchalantly while flipping a page.

He sighed. Naruto calmed down when he saw Sasuke walk up to him. He was _nearly_ dropped onto the floor, but Sasuke wasn't _that_ cruel and sadistic. At least, not as cruel and sadistic as Kakashi was.

When he was let down, Naruto got on all fours and stretched like a cat. Or rather, if you prefer, a fox. His tail swished around and he shook his head to get the blood flowing again.

"I'll be back in a moment," Sasuke told Kakashi, still looking at him vehemently. He led a still-dazed Naruto away.

While walking back to Iruka's classroom, Naruto kept squeaking and yipping, as if trying to tell Sasuke about his horrible time with Kakshi. Or whatever happened during that time that ended up with him tied up in a tree.

"… no idea what you're saying right now, Naruto…" Sasuke said distractedly and stopped in front of the room. He rapped on the door twice before entering. "Iruka, I'm back with Naruto…"

"Oh, okay then. You'd better hurry up and get back to Kakashi-sensei …" he said, looking up from the low table he was sitting at. Sasuke could see some scrolls already laid out and ready for Naruto's first lesson.

"Thanks again, Iruka."

"Yes, it's fine…" Iruka smiled warmly and gestured for Naruto to sit down.

When Naruto looked between Iruka and Sasuke, the boy nodded and waved him over. Immediately, Naruto hurried over to the teacher.

_I'm sure he won't end up in too much trouble with Iruka …_ Sasuke tried to reassure himself. That fox could get in so much trouble…

---

"So!" Sasuke began an unfinished sentence while he tried to kick his teacher. Kakshi expertly dodged the attack and threw a punch with his right hand. "How was Naruto?"

"Very extremely hyper," Kakashi replied. He paused slightly to turn a page of his book.

"So is that your excuse for tying him up to a tree?" Sasuke frowned and tried to use that pause as an opening.

"I keep telling you, it was a test that he failed." The man was not affected by his student's vain try at hitting him.

"_That's_ your reason?" he interrogated as he became increasingly frustrated.

Kakashi laughed again. "Sure, sure, Sasuke. That's my reason…"

Sasuke smirked a bit. "How very nice of you. First day meeting him and you already treat him badly."

"Oh, don't say it _that _way…" Silver hair flew up as Kakashi snapped the book shut. "That's enough for today."

The Uchiha stopped and stood up from his stance. His breath was slightly labored, but he wasn't that tired. "Fine, fine… Whatever the teacher says…" Sasuke wiped the sweat from his forehead. "See you tomorrow, Kakashi. Don't be late again, Naruto will be here before me…" he reminded before leaving.

"Sure, Sasuke. See you tomorrow…" he trailed off and took out his book again. Reading in the dimming day was not good for his eyes, erm, eye, but he didn't seem to care. After all, what a teacher does is his own business…

---

"Naru—Oof!" Sasuke was shocked when the door to Iruka's room suddenly wrenched open and a moment later, he was tackled to the floor, making his head hit the ground. "Oh, ow, that hurt! What the heck?" He opened his eyes when he felt a familiar tongue lick his face. "Naruto! Get off!" The Uchiha pushed the smaller body off of his and rubbed the back of his head.

"Oh my… Sasuke, are you alright? I thought it was strange when Naruto suddenly stopped paying attention…" Iruka peeked out from the haphazardly opened door, his hand resting on the frame.

"Yeah, I'm… fine…" Sasuke mumbled, trying to shove away the hyperactive fox.

"Saasuke! You're back!" Naruto half-yipped, half-said.

"Whoa, it's weird hearing you talk…" Sasuke sweatdropped and wrinkled his brows a bit.

"Mean Sas'ke!" the fox said huffily.

"Yeah, sure, sure…" Sasuke petted him and turned to Iruka.

The teacher laughed good-humouredly. "That hyper nature of his comes in handy. He managed to get through all the scrolls I presented to him today. How much of it he remembers, I have no idea, but you can have a fairly short conversation with him now…"

Sasuke nodded. "Thanks, Iruka! Sorry for making you go through all that torture."

"No, it wasn't that bad. He settles down when you're not around. At least a little…" He began to shoo Sasuke and Naruto away. "Now go and do whatever thirteen year olds do. Go see your friends or something…" Iruka laughed again and closed the door on them.

"Come on, weirdo…" Sasuke began walking.

---

"Hey… Look who's here," Kiba glanced up from the small group that surrounded him. He calmed down Akamaru from biting the sleeves of his robe. Standing up, Kiba grinned widely, looking cheerful, as usual.

"Hey guys," Sasuke said shortly, joining their group.

Shikamaru looked up from where he was lying down. Next to him, Chouji was snacking on some sort of chip from a handkerchief. Nearby on a tree, Shino was standing, staring at them or not, he could not tell from those dark tinted glasses of his.

"Sasuke, who's that? Your new pet? That's right, huh? Yesterday was your birthday. Late happy birthday," Kiba laughed.

"Yeah, thanks."

"He looks troublesome," Shikamaru commented and continued staring at the sky.

"No kidding…" the Uchiha agreed. He sat down, cross-legged in the middle of the group. All of them enjoyed hanging out in the forest near the village. It was quiet, and there was never really any threat to them.

"Can I have some?" Naruto bounced over to Chouji and inquired politely.

The boy was lightly startled by the fact that the fox could speak. "Uh, sure…" he offered the chips to him. "What's your name?"

"Thanks!" Naruto grinned widely and took one. "M'name's 'Naruto'," he replied while crunching on the chip.

Akamaru ran over to the fox and began to investigate this new 'person'. He barked a few times and circled him curiously. After Naruto was done with the chip, he crouched down and yipped at the dog.

"Augh, so noisy!" Shikamaru grumbled. "You can't even watch the clouds in peace now…"

"Don't complain that much… One day, you'll have to get one too," Sasuke pointed out.

"Not true."

"Huh?"

Shikamaru sat up and rubbed the back of his head. "Exactly what I said. It's not true. Not according to the Nara rules, anyway."

"I thought…" Sasuke started.

"You thought there was only one set of rules?" Chouji asked as he finished the last chip, and crumpled away the cloth.

"Yeah…"

"Figures. I mean… with… You know," the he made a vague hand gesture.

The group fell silent and Sasuke nodded. Naruto noted the sudden drop in volume and walked over to Sasuke, nudging his chin with his head. Quietly, Sasuke hugged him until Naruto was sitting in his lap. His hand rubbed his head while the group stayed hushed for a moment longer.

It wasn't just Iruka and Kakashi who knew about the whole Uchiha massacre. It wasn't just them who knew that Itachi was the culprit of killing everyone. No, there were others. The Nara, Akimichi, Inuzuka, Aburame, and Hyuuga clans also knew. It just wasn't in their place and power to say anything about it. There were also a few select individuals who knew of the truth, but again, they could do nothing about it.

"Well," Shikamaru started uneasily, after the long pause. "Each individual 'noble' clan has their own set of rules. The Nara clan makes it optional to have a pet or not. It's too troublesome for me, so my family won't force it upon me."

"The Akimichi rules are basically the same. None of us requires a pet for fighting or otherwise. Our own body suffices."

Kiba laughed. "Of course, the Inuzuka clan has our faithful dogs to guard us!"

"And the Aburame clan depends on bugs," Shikamaru pointed at the still silent Shino, who preferred to keep to himself.

"And what of Neji?" Sasuke asked. Though the Hyuuga boy was older than them, now and again, he would join them in their 'meetings'.

"He's from the branch family and does not qualify for one," the lazy boy informed, lying back down.

Sasuke gazed down at Naruto, who looked back, sensing the tenseness in the air. Though he could not understand too much of the conversation, he understood enough. "I see," Sasuke said, his eyes growing hazy.

The fox whined and licked his owner's face. "Am… Am I… a…" he paused, trying to look for the right word. His eyebrows furrowed as he thought. "Sas'ke, am I a burden to you?"

The Uchiha looked taken aback and surprised at the inquiry. "No, you aren't… You aren't at all…" he rubbed his head more vigorously and smiled a bit.

"I'm sorry…" Naruto apologized.

"Don't apologize. It's not your fault, you didn't even do anything wrong…" Sasuke's dark eyes looked back up.

"… Aw, Sasuke's grown so _sweet_ now," Kiba teased.

"Oh, be quiet," Sasuke snapped, irritated.

Naruto hopped out of Sasuke's lap and went around acquainting himself with everyone. All of the boys seemed to like him, except for Shino who didn't really show much of a reaction. Or at least, he didn't show enough reaction to see through that high collar of his.

Halfway through their gathering, a boy dressed in a tight, green robe burst through into the area. None of them were really startled, except for Naruto, who was not used to such 'dynamic entries' as this one.

"How are my youthful friends?" Lee exploded, grinning widely until Naruto swore he heard a 'ping' from him.

"Fine, Lee, and you?" was one of the various greetings the older boy received.

"Great! _Hey_. What's this little guy doing here?" Lee crouched down in front of Naruto.

"He's my new pet." Sasuke explained.

Lee grinned again. "Ah, the youthfulness!" he exclaimed.

Kiba chuckled, "Sure, Lee… Sure. Say, what brings you here?"

"Oh! That's right," Lee snapped back up. "Shikamaru-kun, your mother is looking for you out in the streets. You might want to return home soon." He jabbed his thumb behind his back to indicate the direction.

The Nara groaned as he stood up and muttered "Troublesome", waved goodbye and left.

Of the boys, most of them were from fairly 'noble' families, except for Lee. He was not of a very high status, but the boys invited him to their gatherings anyway because 1) his enthusiasm was too much to refuse and 2) he was a nice guy once you knew him. He worked extremely hard and was as good as, if not better, than all of the boys. And so, they accepted the slightly eccentric boy as one of their own. After all, status doesn't mean everything, now does it?

One by one, the boys began to leave, saying that it was getting late. And indeed, it was. Soon, it was only Sasuke and Naruto left, and they too began to walk back to the palace.

"Sas'ke, your friends are nice," Naruto stated simply, since he couldn't get any farther than that.

"Yeah, they are, aren't they? Did you like them?" the boy brushed his hair out of his face and was careful not to stumble on some protruding roots.

"Yes," the fox's eyes shone in the line whenever the dying sunlight hit them. "But I think Sas'ke's more fun."

"Hn… How so?"

Naruto laughed childishly, "You make funny faces when I get you mad."

Sasuke snorted.

---

"Sasuke!"

The two of them stopped from their walk back to the room and turned around. Iruka was running toward them.

"I forgot to give you these when you left," he explained, panting a bit. From his sleeves, he drew out several scrolls. "They're short stories suitable for Naruto's level right now. Have him read them, or read to him if you want, and he might be able to learn faster. And you can teach him the alphabet or something."

"Thanks," Sasuke said shortly, taking the scrolls.

"Iruka-sensei is so nice!" Naruto beamed enthusiastically, already trying to see the rolled up scrolls.

Iruka laughed. "It's nothing."

"Iruka," Sasuke's solemn eyes looked up and gazed at his teacher.

The smile on Iruka's face faded. "Yes?"

"Could I… Could I borrow the scroll that explains the Uchiha clan rules?"

"Oh… Sure, but I don't have it with me. It's locked up with the other scrolls. You can come pick it up tomorrow during class," he said, scratching his head absently.

"Thank you…" He turned around and left.

"Sorry, Iruka-sensei, Sasuke's been acting weird again… Thanks again!" Naruto whispered to him and bounded after his owner.

---

"Iruka?" Sasuke knocked on the door and went in by himself. Naruto was already on his way to see Kakashi, so he wouldn't be disrupting class anymore.

"Come in," was the reply.

When Sasuke walked in, he saw Iruka roll up a gold trimmed scroll.

"Oh, this is the Uchiha clan rules," Iruka explained without being asked. "Hold on, I'm going to give this to you in a bit… I'll just clean up first."

And clean up he did. The desk was strewed with various brushes and ink stands, scrolls and more scrolls, teapots and cups, scraps of paper and ink blots. So Sasuke stood there and waited patiently.

"Here you go, Sauske," the teacher handed him a gold trimmed scroll. During his "cleaning up", Sasuke didn't realize that Iruka had inconspicuously swapped the original scroll with another one. But certainly, it wasn't that important now, was it?

"Thank you."

"I apologize for making you wait so long…" Iruka yawned but hid behind a wide sleeve.

"Erm…" Sasuke started, noting his teacher's tiredness. "Did you sleep well last night? You seem rather…"

The man immediately perked up and smiled. "Ah, no. I'm just a bit tired this morning that's all."

But the bags under his eyes conflicted with his claim. Sasuke just raised his eyebrow a bit but did not say anything about it.

"Shall we begin then?" his teacher asked, casting the previous suspicion away.

---

"Sas'ke! Sas'ke!" Naruto tackled down his owner again. Thankfully, he was sitting on the futon, so he didn't receive a concussion.

"What?" Sasuke muttered, annoyed. He sat up and frowned at his pet.

"Sas'ke, read me a story, please?" the fox held up a scroll and wagged his tail around.

"Fine, fine… Just go to sleep afterwards…"

"Uhn!" he agreed, nodding his head firmly. He crawled, quite literally, onto Sasuke's lap.

That action made his owner yell, "What are you doing!"

Naruto shifted a bit until he was sitting comfortably on Sasuke's lap. "I can't see the scroll if I don't sit here!" he replied logically.

Sasuke sighed. He was completely defeated by the simply statement. "Fine…" He took the scroll from Naruto's hand and tucked his arms under his pet's own arms. After unrolling the scroll, Sasuke rested his chin on Naruto's shoulder.

The fox was anything but sleepy when the story started, but halfway through it, his eyes got heavy and by the time Sasuke was nearly done, Naruto had fallen asleep. When he realized this, Sasuke rolled up the scroll again and placed Naruto on his side of the futon.

Sasuke walked over to his table and unrolled a gold trimmed scroll. "Uchiha Clan Rules and Regulations" was written in very fancy characters. The words seemed to go on and on forever, but Sasuke was simply looking for one rule in particular. The others he simply skimmed over.

Seeing how thick the scroll was, it took him a good half hour or so before he found what he was looking for.

"_Each male member of the Uchiha clan, upon the age of thirteen is required to acquire a pet. This is mandatory, and is not excusable_."

The already silent night grew even quieter as Sasuke chewed over the words. Slowly, he rolled it back up and blew out his candle, allowing the smoke to swirl around before disappearing into the air.

He breathed out a long held breath and went under the covers as well. It was a warm night, seeing that it was summer, but somehow to Sasuke, it was strangely cold and empty. Something was missing…

Sasuke inched nearer to Naruto and hugged him loosely. He buried his face onto Naruto's neck and inched in even closer.

Ah, there you go. Now it feels better.


	5. A Name, A Kiss, A Fight, A Meeting

Sasuke was… trying to be busy. Fine, I won't lie to you. He was lazy today and didn't really want to do much. But seriously, that desk of his? Yeah, it needed some cleaning up. So, standing up and strolling over to the desk of his in the midst of sticky leftover summer heat, he began to clean up the scrolls and papers strewed on it. He would have actually been able to clean up fairly quickly if Naruto didn't keep breaking things in his room.

Finally fed up with his fox, Sasuke grabbed some random papers off the low desk and prepared to fling it at the idiot. He stopped when he saw what he was holding. Hey, wait a minute… Don't they look just a bit familiar?

"_Here you go, Sasuke! Don't lose these papers. You never know when you'll need them!"_ Iruka had said, or something like that.

Oh, now he remembers! Sasuke had gotten these papers a while back… They were Naruto's information papers. Wow, he thought he lost them ages ago. Okay, maybe not ages…

"Huh…" Sasuke breathed and lowered his arm again. He hadn't read them yet, even though he had received them quite a while ago.

Sensing that Sasuke was no longer going to be paying attention to him, then getting mad at him, Naruto retired from his mischief and chose to sleep next to Sasuke instead. As usual, he curled up and covered half his face with his tail.

Sasuke began to leaf through the few papers, picking out some interesting information here and there. Birthday… _October 10th, huh? That's not too far off…_ Sasuke thought to himself and continued.

_Breed: Mix between 'Uzumaki' breed and 'Kyuubi' breed. Specially bred for faster healing rates and less noticeable whiskers._

"Uzumaki and Kyuubi? Kyuubi… Nine-Tails?" Sasuke muttered, not really linking the words together and making sense. He started to chew on his thumb unconsciously as he flipped through the pages again.

---

And so… A month has passed, and the two of them are getting… Uh, fairly better. Along the way of learning how to speak, Naruto also picked up some rather vulgar language.

"Hey! Hey, _bastard_! Dang it, wait up!"

Oh boy. When Naruto called Sasuke 'bastard' for the very first time, those who heard it nearly called the execution team over and killed him. That is, they were _going_ to until they heard Sasuke hesitate then yell, "Stupid moron, where the heck did you learn to say such things?" and smacked him on the head.

Nowadays, those who hear them quarreling only look away and smile a bit. Their arguing is always so childish, it's amusing. Most of the time, you end up with the same result. Naruto usually gets hit on the back of the head. Usually. After all, pets should be submissive right? If they're dominant, then they would run the court. Then kill someone. Or something. Or not, you never know.

"What do you want, moron?" Sasuke turned around and stared at his pet emotionlessly.

"Stop calling me that, bastard!" Naruto frowned and caught up with his owner, walking side by side with him.

The young Uchiha snorted. "Are you _listening_ to yourself?"

"Hmph! Well sorry for not being as sarcastic as yourself, Uchiha Sasuke," Naruto grated out.

"What do you want? Uzumaki Naruto," Sasuke glared at his pet and put extra emphasis on his name. When Sasuke read Naruto's papers last month, he decided to give him the last name of "Uzumaki" after one of his parents' breed. Naruto didn't complain, or rather, he _couldn't_ complain.

They were going to be late for Iruka's class again. Lately, their teacher has been getting increasingly irritable. Each day, Sasuke would request a certain scroll to train Naruto or something of that sort, and on the next day, Iruka would hand it to him. But Sasuke had noticed how snappish he has been as of late.

When he had inquired his teacher of his wellness, he only received a vague answer about having insomnia. Apparently something has been bothering him lately. Sasuke didn't figure out if it was something physical that was bothering him, or if it was something mental that was bothering him.

"I… I just wanted you to wait up for me…" he murmured, his anger suddenly drained.

Sasuke lifted his hand and rubbed Naruto on the head, a small smile on his lips. Because Naruto learned so quickly, Sasuke and Naruto now went to class together. Iruka's in the morning and Kakashi's in the afternoon.

Before they opened the door, however, they paused. From within Iruka's door, it was all quiet. Then, a sigh. A deep, lonely, empty sigh. Even the cheerful Naruto was subdued by the loneliness of their teacher. Sasuke shook his head slowly and motioned Naruto to go in first.

"Iruka-sensei!"

Over the last month or so, Sasuke had been reading up on how to raise an obedient and quiet companion. After a couple dozen scrolls, Sasuke finally had a good idea of how to train Naruto.

First of all, you have to make sure you make him understand who is boss. To do that, Sasuke had to wrestle with Naruto many, many times. Either during training, bath time, bed time, breakfast, dinner, you name it, they've fought it. Each and every time Naruto got rowdy, Sasuke would have to force him to the ground and, in order to keep him down, sit on him, his hand around Naruto's neck. And if Naruto growled, Sasuke would growl louder. If Naruto bit him on the hand, Sasuke would bite him on the shoulder, even harder. And you know, eventually, Naruto got the "I'm supposed to be submissive and everything" lesson.

The second lesson to a good pet was to keep him obeying his orders. Unlike Lesson One of the "Good Pet Rules", Lesson Two was much better. Tell Naruto to do, or not to do, something, and if he does it, give him a treat. Sometimes it was a pat on the head, or a bedtime story. Or sometimes, it would be part of Sasuke's desert, which he never really ate anyway. The fox picked up on this lesson fairly quickly.

With Lesson One and Two set down, Sasuke and Naruto were off to a good start.

Bt recently, Sasuke had been distracted. Rather distracted. He had read a story from Iruka's library, and it has been bothering him for a long time now. At least for a week or two. Naruto had noticed it, but he never said anything about it. If Sasuke wanted to talk about it, eventually, he would speak up.

Throughout the class, both of them struggled with their lessons as Iruka frequently lost his train of thought and also drifted off topic. Neither of them said anything though. So, by themselves, or as well as they could on their own, they learned their lessons for the day.

And when the time came and class ended, both of them said their goodbyes and headed over to Kakashi's place. Wherever that was. He was always moving around in that huge plot of land, and it usually took them at least ten minutes just to find him each day.

All the while, Sasuke kept fidgeting around. With his sleeve, collar, scrolls, everything. He kept getting flustered and fidgeting around. After a while, Naruto got fed up with his owner's sudden nervousness.

"Sasuke-bastard," he asked lazily, "what's your problem?"

"N-Nothing," he stuttered, his dark eyes darting over the shadow speckled ground.

"Hm…" Naruto raised an eyebrow and shook it off, his tail swishing around a bit in the cool air.

---

"Nn…" Sasuke cleared his throat. It was late evening now, and the sun was already setting. And now, with the door to the bath open, thin strings of orange-pink stains spilled across the tatami floor. And they played across the strands of hair which swayed in the gentle breeze, and they fluttered across the ground like disconnected leaves, and they laughed and smiled, and warmed the room. Sasuke's hand rubbed the edge of his scroll. "Naruto?"

"Hum?" Naruto set down his own scroll and looked over at his owner. Another good lesson taught. Eye contact when someone is speaking to you.

The Uchiha lifted his hand weakly and waved him over. Naruto did so. He bounded, yes bounded, since he still was fox-ish, and sat on his haunches, waiting for his order. He grinned and tilted his head at Sasuke.

"I…" Dark eyes avoided bright ones. A faint blush went over his cheeks as he cleared his throat. "Y-You want… To, uh…"

"Saaasuke! What's wrong with you? For the past week or so, you've been acting weird!" Naruto scratched his head, looking at him inquiringly.

Fifteen day and a half days ago, Sasuke had read a scroll. It was a fictional story that he had read. It was a romance story. Now usually, girls of Sasuke's age would be reading such, but in his disheveled state, Iruka just gave Sasuke some random scrolls to read. Now, he didn't really want to read the story at first, but he read it anyway.

And eventually, he reached a strange part. A part that he didn't understand. Life is best understood through experiences, and this part, Sasuke had no idea what it was, for he had never experienced it. And though the two characters, one male and one female, had done so, Naruto would be fine right?

"Doyouwanttotrysomethingnew?" the strung words spilled out of his mouth.

"What?"

In his embarrassed state, Sasuke relied on his instincts. Instincts told him to smack Naruto on the head. So he did.

"Ow! Bastard! Why'd you hit me for?" the fox complained angrily.

"Reflexes, moron," he explained, refusing to apologize.

Naruto's eyes narrowed as he frowned. "Do I want to try something new? Is that what you asked?"

Sasuke nodded briefly.

Furry orange ears perked up. "Yeah, sure!"

His owner coughed embarrassedly. "It's… I read it from a story…"

"Eh? Why are you so flustered then? We've always tried the fighting techniques we found from our scrolls…"

"It's… not a fighting technique, moron…" Sasuke finally lifted his eyes and gazed at Naruto.

"Huh? What is it then?" Naruto began to chew on his knuckle.

"It's called a 'kiss'…" Sasuke averted his eyes and turned a deeper red. He had read that part over and over again, not understanding the action of a 'kiss'. What was it? He only knew that two people had to lean in really close together and press their lips together, right? But that was weird… Really weird.

"Kiss?" the fox drawled out.

Once again, Sasuke nodded.

"What is it? What is it?" Naruto grew excited at the prospect of learning something new. He was always an eager learner, but he was a blockhead anyway. He leaned closer to Sasuke until he was almost sitting in his lap.

When Sasuke didn't answer, but only turned redder, he became more and more persistent. "Sasuke-bastard! Come on, tell me what it is!" his face went even closer until their noses nearly touched.

And that was when Sasuke froze. He just stopped leaning back. And his eyes held a glint that Naruto had never seen before. Some sort of malicious glint…

Then suddenly, Naruto's nonstop flow of words was abruptly cut off. It wasn't a voluntary stop of words though. It was more of a blockage. Another set of lips that blocked those words. So Naruto was forced to stop talking and to press back, on accident of course. And within a split second, he fell back, shocked by the contact.

His owner turned his head away until his hair covered up his eyes and his blush. "That's a kiss," he muttered.

Blue eyes were dilated in shock as Naruto touched his lips with his fingers. Involuntarily, his tail began to twitch. It was strange that it was uncomfortable for the two to kiss. After all, sometimes, Naruto would randomly lick Sasuke's face, and during Lesson One of the pet training, Sasuke had bitten him many times again, but why was such a gentle gesture so embarrassing?

"There… There's more…" Sasuke continued, quite red and wondering if he would pass out because of the lack of blood in anywhere besides his face.

Naruto nodded and went back to Sasuke. The submissive training had changed him quite a bit, although he still liked being rebellious at times. Besides, in this situation, what else could he do? He sat down in front of Sasuke and waited nervously.

Sasuke was no better. He swallowed uncertainly and leaned over to Naruto, placing a hand on his shoulder, and the other on his cheek. That's how he read it, at least. His lips hovered above Naruto's as he clenched his eyes shut and pressed his mouth against his pet's. The boy could feel Naruto quivering under him.

A jolt went down Naruto's spine when he felt something wet lick his lips. In an attempt to yelp out and push Sasuke away, his owner hesitantly stuck his tongue in, scaring the lights out of poor Naruto. In their confusion, Naruto fell back and Sasuke fell on top of him, unconsciously deepening their kiss.

Ah, what could go wrong has definitely gone wrong now! As they fell, Naruto had reached out and grabbed the front of Sasuke's robe in order to pull himself up, but now he was pulling him down, closer to his own body. The Uchiha's hands were splayed next to Naruto's head as his heart quickened.

For about one and a quarter of a second, they stayed like that before Sasuke scrambled off and turned his back to Naruto and Naruto decided to curl up with his back facing Sasuke. A long, embarrassing time passed before Sasuke stood up shakily.

" Bath time," he announced quietly and went to retrieve some clothes for himself. Naruto did the same.

When Sasuke was washing Naruto's back during their bath, the fox grabbed his arm and turned around a bit. He wasn't looking at Sasuke, but rather at an obscure corner in the room.

Sasuke's immediate response to being stopped was to frown. Frown deeply. Very deeply. "What do you want now, do—"

He was very rudely interrupted when Naruto yanked him down and turned around even more. Somehow, through soap and water, they were kissing again.

Once more, Sasuke's own tongue met with Naruto's rougher tongue. Now not only was Sasuke shocked, but he was also in a weird position. But still, he couldn't really complain since he had no mouth to speak with right then and there.

Perhaps it was because of the humidity inside of the bath, or maybe because of the steam, or water, or soap, or some other bizarre and completely irrelevant inanimate object, but eventually, both of them were breathing pretty darn hard. And for some strange reason Naruto began making small squeaking noises in his throat. Could the source of this phenomenon be Sasuke's own tongue, which was now quite happily exploring his pet's mouth?

And why _was_ Sasuke moaning like that? Maybe it was because of his strange posture. He must have an aching back or something. No? What? You think it's because of something else? Silly thing, I'm the author! You have no say in why Sasuke was moaning oh-so-erotically.

And when, _finally_ they stopped, the two of them were nearly to the point of fainting.

And the first thing that came out of Naruto's mouth? "Sasuke, you taste weird."

Then what about Sasuke's response? "S-shut up, moron! You freaking taste weird too!" and with that he turned away and began to wash himself with the soap, once again frowning.

Somewhere between the time after their kiss and before their bath ended, Sasuke swore he heard Naruto giggle and mutter, "I think I like kissing Sasuke…"

---

Nobody really knew how it started, or how it really ended, but one day, just out of the blue, Sasuke and Naruto came storming down the hallway, screaming at each other.

"Bastard!"

" Moron! Stop calling me that!"

"_You_ stop calling me that, _bastard_!"

And so on and so forth until everyone just began ignoring the random bursts of words and occasional punches and kicks. Rather, everyone just sort of ran away until the two of them settled everything.

But alas! Iruka could not run away from them that morning but had to suffer with their petty bickering. That is, he had to suffer with them until he sent Naruto off to Kakashi. Better to torture the other teacher than to suffer, right? Ah, but Sasuke just would not focus that day! And so, Iruka just retired and sent Sasuke away to Kakshi as well.

Yet even the laid-back, perverted teacher could not deal with them. He nearly lost his visible eye trying to sort them out. So, defeated, Kakashi shooed them away. If he continued trying to keep them from killing each other, he'd probably be the only victim. The only thing he could do was to wait and hope that they would make up soon. Before they caused the end of the world.

"Get out of my face, idiot!" Sasuke finally yelled and stomped away, quite fed up with the bickering. His usual frown was even more intense right now and his eyes were hinted with a slight glint of murder.

"Fine, I will!" Naruto retorted, equally as heatedly before running out of the palace gates. He had been outside a few times, but it had always been with Sasuke. And now, though he was lost, the only thing Naruto was thinking of vehemetely was: _I'll go find Kiba or someone and rant on about stupid Sasuke-bastard… Maybe even Chouji or Shikamaru..._

Over the past month, Naruto had befriended all of the boys rather quickly. Now he had an even better friendship with them than Sasuke ever had, or will have. He was very easy to talk with and shared many traits with the boys. He even got Shino to talk a bit. But where could they be at right now?

However, even before he could realize that he had no idea where his good friends lived, he crashed into someone. Or rather, someone's breasts. Naruto stumbled back and fell on his butt.

"S-sorry," he muttered, completely embarrassed that of _all_ the body parts he could have ran into…

"Hey, watch where you're going brat," a voice said, towering over him.

"Heey, Tsunade, don't freak the kid out…" a male voice chided.

"Look closer, Jiraiya, he's not a kid."

"Huh?" There was a short pause. "You're right…"

"Hm?" Naruto looked up and saw a man and a woman gazing at him. He scrambled to his feet and frowned. He didn't like the way they were scrutinizing him, then exchanged glances.

"S'okay, brat," the woman who Naruto assumed was "Tsunade" said. He leaned back when she poked her head closer to him and tugged at his collar. The bell jingled as it was rattled. "Why are you out of the Uchiha palace?" she inquired after seeing a small print of the Uchiha fan on his collar.

Naruto lowered his head and ears, mumbling something under his breath.

"Whatever, brat. Are you lost then?" Tsunade tilted her head and looked at him with her hands on her hips. Her long, pale yellow hair fell in her face as she did so. Though her brown eyes were not unkind, it held a sort of coolness that made Naruto shudder.

Nervously, he nodded.

"We'd better bring you back to the palace then. Don't want some weird pervert to steal you or something," Jiraiya joked. His oddly spiked, white hair waved around in the gentle breeze that passed them.

Tsunade narrowed her eyes and looked at Jiraiya with an odd expression. Jiraiya rolled his eyes at her face.

Though Naruto had no idea what the word "pervert" meant, he still shook his head furiously. "No!"

"What?" the two adults chorused.

"I don't want to go back!" Naruto whimpered, his hands clenched by his sides.

"What's the matter, kiddo?" Jiraiya asked, crouching in front of him and looking at him suspiciously.

"Stupid Sasuke-bastard," the fox said, as if that explained everything.

Jiraiya chuckled and threw a backward glance at Tsunade. Both of them had one thing in mind: This fox has some guts to call Sasuke that…

"You can't stay out here with us two old farts forever, you know?"

Naruto blinked. Jiraiya seemed old, but that Tsunade lady didn't seem too old. "What about her?" he asked, pointing at Tsunade.

Jiraiya ignored the rudeness in Naruto's gesture and laughed. "What? That old hag? She's my age, about fifty-some! She just uses some… cosmetics to make herself look young."

At that, Tsunade's hand into a fist and knocked Jiraiya down. The man fainted with a giant bulge forming on his head.

Blue eyes became enlarged with fear at Tsunade's strength. He took a step back.

"What's wrong? Just because I'm strong and awesome, you're scared?" Tsnuade looked at him with an evil glint in her eye.

Again, Naruto shook his head furiously.

"Hey, what is your name anyway?" She frowned a bit and continued to scrutinize him.

"Uzumaki Naruto," the fox answered. "You…"

"I'm Tsunade and this is Jiraiya," she pointed at the still unconscious man.

Naruto nodded slowly. He looked around the streets. Already, the sun was at its zenith.

"So are you going back or not, Naruto?" the woman made him snap out of his thoughts.

"Uhm…" his cerulean eyes darted around as he tried to avoid the question.

"Look, eventually you'll have to go back and deal with Sasuke… sama," she added absently.

He made a strange noise between a whine and a groan in his throat. "I don't…"

"Okay, we're going back then," she said, blocking the rest of his complaint. She was in no mood to deal with a whiny kid looking pet. "Hey, wake up," she nudged Jiraiya on the side.

"Nnrgph?" the man made a weird noise as he woke up. "Itaaaii! That hurt…" Jiraiya clutched his head and sat up.

"We're taking him back," the blonde said briskly, before Jiraiya could say anything.

"You convinced him that quickly?"

"No." Was the short answer.

The man decided against asking any further questions and stood up. His mouth went into a lopsided line of dissatisfaction.

It really wasn't as if Naruto didn't protest against being brought back to the palace, but he wasn't able to do much. At first, he was nearly choked to death when Tsunade dragged him by the collar, but that caused too much of a commotion. So instead, Jiraiya slung him over his shoulder, carrying him like a sack of rice, but too bad for them, the feisty fox would not relent to such an embarrassment. So in the end, Tsunade had to knock him out and _then_ they carried him back like a sack of rice.

But before they even reached the gates, they were stopped by none other than Uchiha Sasuke himself. And a group of his none too discreet fangirls. From his position, leaning on a pole, he gave off a rather intimidating aura, much to his fangirls' delight. He eyed Jiraiya and Tsunade warily.

"Did you two find him?" he asked his voice flat and uncaring.

Jiraiya looked at him with equal suspicion. "Yeah, so?" he replied, somewhat rudely.

Sasuke held out his hand.

"What do you want… Sasuke," Tsunade looked at him. "… sama?"

The Uchiha didn't even seem to notice the extremely long pause which barely connected his name and suffix together. "Naruto."

"This little guy?" Jiraiy asked too innocently.

Sasuke wore an expression torn between irritation and tiredness. "He's mine, just give him back," he demanded, his hand still outstretched.

"And if we don't want to?" the white-haired man asked, somewhat playfully.

Tsunade shook her head and jabbed him in the ribs with her elbow. Jiraiya grimaced and pulled Naruto down, gingerly handing him over. He managed to sneak a glare at the young Uchiha before turning away. Without another word, Tsunade and Jiraiya disappeared into the crowd, but not before they both looked at Sasuke carefully.

Sasuke leaned back a bit at Naruto's weight and watched as the two strangers examined him and left. He sighed and muttered angrily, "Stupid moron…" And all the girls swooned in his coolness. With great difficulty, Sasuke managed to ignore the girls and carried Naruto back.

---

Back in Sasuke's room, an unconscious Naruto was thrown onto the tatami floor. He immediately woke up with a start and began to curse. Before his second string of curses began though, he was held down and choked by Sasuke.

Naruto could nearly feel the angriness that Sasuke emanated at that moment. "Don't," Sasuke began, leaning in close to Naruto's face and tightening his grip around his neck, "ever run away from the palace. Ever again. Got it?"

The fox nodded and started to gasp for air. Immediately, Sasuke's hand loosened to the point where Naruto could breathe properly, but was still held down. Strange strangled noises came from Naruto's throat, but Sasuke still did not let him go.

For a while, they glared at the other and without warning, Sasuke released Naruto and stepped away. Naruto rubbed his raw and red neck gingerly and muttered, "Bastard…" under his breath.

The next moment, he found himself falling forward from the sudden force that Sasuke used to smack him on the head with.

And we can conclude that whatever their fight was for, it was resolved now. Somewhat violently, but resolved nonetheless.

---

"_Sasuke, what's wrong? Don't you like red? Don't you like the brightness? The clearness? The loveliness? Oh, what's wrong, little one? Do you not like blood?" Itachi laughed and gazed into his little brother's eyes._

_He couldn't speak. Couldn't move, couldn't scream, couldn't blink, couldn't look away, couldn't breathe, couldn't believe. Everyone was killed. Dead. Bloody. Cold._

"_Do you hate me for it, Sasuke-kun? Do you loathe me for it?" Itachi whispered into his ear. "Don't you want to avenge everyone? To make me suffer?" the man laughed harshly. "Then, Sasuke, grow to hate me, won't you? Won't you do that? And when you hate me enough, loathe me enough, despise me enough…"_

_Itachi leaned back and smeared some blood onto Sasuke's cheek with his thumb. "And when your hate reaches so much, kill your best friend, and you will surely be able to avenge everyone. To be able to kill me. To be able to be invincible…" His chilling laugh filled the dark room again before he swept away, leaving Sasuke in his wake._

"_Yaagh_!" Sasuke bolted upright from his nightmare. His entire body shook and a film of cold sweat covered his body. He didn't notice Naruto, who was sprawled on the floor, his eyes wide with fear. He had fallen back at Sasuke's sudden interjection.

"Sasuke! Sasuke, are you okay?" Naruto quickly scurried back to his owner, holding him by the shoulders. "Sasuke… I couldn't wake you up in time, I'm sorry, I'm sorry…" the small fox hugged him and rocked back and forth.

The young Uchiha was stiff and scared even as Naruto's warmth seeped into his fear-frozen limbs. He found that the tears that fell from his eyes would not stop. Would not halt blurring his vision. Would not halt falling. Would not halt at all. And he could not stop the small whimpering noises coming from his throat.

"Sasuke, Sasuke…" Naruto kept mumbling into his shoulder, trying to calm him down. He didn't ask what was wrong. He didn't ask why Sasuke was so scared. He never asked. Didn't ask. He only comforted him.

And when the night slowly passed, Sasuke's frozen form began to loosen and his eyes closed reluctantly. The rhythmic back and forth pattern Naruto rocked him with was comforting, and soon he was asleep in that strange yet reassuring position.

He had not remembered that part of their conversation for a long time. Sasuke merely remembered the dead bodies, the blank eyes, the laughter, the blood, the fear, the feeling of uselessness. But he had not remembered that conversation. Yet it was so real, _so_ real, Sasuke could not doubt that it was false. It was true. But it was so terrifying that his sub-consciousness had pushed it to the back of his memories, and now it has resurfaced.

But what did Itachi mean?

What did he mean…?

---

It was October 10th today, and Sasuke and Naruto were nowhere to be found in the palace. Actually, they were in the training grounds on the outskirts of the palace, but that wasn't important. What _is_ important is that October 10th was Naruto's birthday. And they were celebrating it. Sort of. Not really… They were just… hanging out. Like usual.

It was a nice and cool day, now that summer had passed. The trees were shedding their former emerald gowns and changing into crisp, autumn colors. And as the wind pulled dead leaves from their branches and carried them down, the two of them admired the pink blemished sky.

Sasuke was lying down, allowing the drying grass to tickle his neck and the wind to brush his hair into his face. Naruto was next to him, in typical curled position. Sasuke was absently rubbing Naruto's right ear, like he enjoys doing. Then he pinched it, earning a growl from Naruto, who turned his head to bite the offending hand.

The bite quickly turned into a bit of gnawing then he began licking Sasuke's hand. Somehow, Naruto ended up straddling Sasuke and kissing him. By this time, Sasuke had already propped himself up on his elbows and allowing Naruto to kiss him.

Occasionally, Naruto would make a small sound of affection and bite Sasuke's lip a bit. One of Sasuke's hand lifted from the ground as he pressed the back of Naruto's head closer to him own face. He could feel the fox's tail brush against his robes as he kissed him.

Their tongues ran over the other, both feeling the different texture and taste of the other. Sasuke's slightly salty and smooth tongue and Naruto's perpetually sweet and rough tongue. Sasuke didn't like sweets, and Naruto not so much with salty food, but for that short instance of their kiss, neither of them really cared.

This kiss, kiss number whatever, was much better than their first one. _Much_ better. They never really kissed in front of people, simply because they've never seen _anyone_ kiss in front of them. From that observation, they concluded that it wasn't really an appropriate public display.

But no matter _how_ their kissing sounded, there never was anything sexual in it. And no matter _what_ they did during their kiss, whether biting each other on the neck, or touching the other's hip, there was _never_ anything sexual about that either. For them, a kiss was just as normal as a hug, or a punch for that matter. What? They would ask. What was wrong with kissing?

And now, they broke away from their kiss and Sasuke fell back down, now with Naruto draped over his body. For a long quiet moment, they just stayed there, enjoying each other's warmth and company.

Soon, though, Sasuke gently pushed Naruto off and declared that it was time for them to go back to the palace. He had gotten the chefs to make a few extra bowls of ramen for his pet. Of course, Naruto was not aware of that. Still, he was impatient to go home and started to tug on his owner's hand.

And in that brief moment, just being pulled along by his always happy pet, Sasuke could not imagine life without Naruto. Without a friend like him to comfort him through a nightmare. Without a fighting partner during their spars. Without a rival like him to compete with. And though he was not aware of it at that time, without a lover as sweet and tender as Naruto.

He could not imagine it…


	6. Sourness

So a month has passed. And though Sasuke had stopped requesting scrolls a _long_ time ago, Iruka's health was not getting any better. And so, Sasuke had to wipe out the thought that perhaps, just perhaps, Iruka wasn't able to sleep well because he had to find scrolls for him during the night hours, thus the lack of sleep. But with his guilty conscience cleared, Sasuke still didn't know what happened to his poor teacher.

What became of a warm, sometimes bubbly man has now become a withered leaf of existence. And now even the cheerful Naruto could not bring this dried sliver of life back again. Both were very worried about the teacher's health, but no matter how many times they asked, he would never give them a clear answer.

But as of this moment, Iruka was not on Sasuke's mind.

"And so, I told him—" Naruto's mouth was open in a wide grin as he told the boys of his story. Chouji was nodding a bit as he listened and munched on chips again. Shikamaru was propped up against the tree, seemingly staring at the clouds again. Near somewhere, Shino was listening as well, though it did not seem like he was. However, Kiba and Akamaru were having too much fun playing with each other to really pay attention.

"Uzumaki!"

And the world stopped.

Naruto glanced behind him, where the voice had come from. He still had a bit more time before Sasuke would enter the small clearing. "But he wouldn't believe me! It was so mean of him too!"

Chouji nodded as he finished his snacks. The cloud watcher was about to comment on that, but he was interrupted with another impatient sounding, "Uzuma_ki_!" so instead, he changed his mouth shape and said, "You'd better get going before he rips your head off like last time."

"Eehh…" Naruto managed to make out, rubbing his head. His story wasn't complete yet. He frowned and sat down, stubbornly refusing to move from his spot. "I'm not done with my story yet," he said with a defiant look on his face.

"Your funeral," Shikamaru shrugged.

It was not peculiar for all of these boys to be out at this time of the night. After all, in the morning and afternoon, they were usually busy with their own studies and social life, but at night? Well, it was an All Boy's Night.

Excluding the ever so prim and proper Uchiha, of course. After so long, Naruto had begun to drift farther and farther from the boy, finally able to come and go from his owner whenever he wished. Whenever Sasuke wanted Naruto, he would find him, and Naruto would somewhat reluctantly follow him back. But that's how the system went, and they didn't mind it at all.

The fox's lips stuck out as he sat crossed legged on the floor. Maybe if Lee was there, he might've beat Sasuke away. Just a thought… But the energetic boy was not there, like he sometimes was. He jumped a bit when he felt cold hands clap onto his shoulders.

From his voice, Naruto knew that Sasuke was talking with a forced, sadistic smile. "Well, then… If you would just excuse the two of us…"

Even Kiba stopped momentarily to nod a bit at Sauske and their unfortunate friend. Shikamaru had the guts to chuckle a bit at Naruto's struggle. "Don't say I didn't warn you," he muttered as Naruto wailed.

Sasuke dragged him out of the clearing by the collar, over twigs and stones, and everything else on the forest floor. Suddenly he stopped and looked down, his eyes no longer filled with sadism but with concern. His hand released Naruto's collar, making the small bell rasp out a jingle.

"Something's… No, I think you'd better just see it," he said shortly and unclearly before quickening his already brisk walk.

A small squeak erupted from Naruto's throat as he trotted next to the boy. Even in such a long time, he had not grown any taller. Strange, maybe, but the two of them never gave much thought to it.

When they reached the far side of the palace, a loud yowling sound filled the air.

"You know, it's rather stupid of us not to notice this _months_ ago, but I guess there's a reason to that. After all, we're half a mile away from this side of the palace…" Sasuke said while Naruto's eyes dilated as he looked around for the source of the noise. "But still," his owner continued, "how stupid could we have been? I didn't notice it until tonight…"

Naruto looked around. Judging from the are, he concluded that they were around Iruka's bedroom, or more commonly know to them, Iruka's classroom.

"Well," Naruto added in, "you never came out this late until this time. You always dragged me back before the sun set. Look at the time now," he indicated his point with a jab with his finger at the moon.

Sasuke shrugged. "Can you get rid of them?"

The fox rolled his eyes. "Fine, fine…" Naruto shed his outer robe and handed it to Sasuke, who was not expecting the robe and ended having his head covered with it. However, before he could scream at Naruto, the fox had already nimbly jumped onto the rooftops where the noise originated from.

With a predatory swipe of his tail and a bit of malicious grinning, Naruto pounced around the rooftops, making other furry animals scatter. Their bright eyes reflected the moon's light as they yowled and complained loudly, lingering around the place even though they were not welcome.

Then, fed up with their stubbornness, Naruto fluffed up his tail and growled and yipped menacingly. That sent the furries screeching away, and certainly not coming back after that. Satisfied at his handy work, Naruto crouched down by the side of the roof. "How was that?"

His first reply was a balled up robe being flung at his face. He quickly unraveled out of that mess. His second reply was a curt, "Good."

"What happen—?" Iruka's question stopped short when he saw his two students. One perched on the top of his roof, and the other right in front of him. "Whoa," he exclaimed lightly, backing off a bit.

"Sorry, Iruka-sensei!" Naruto chirped. "Did we disturb you?"

The teacher left the window open and leaned on the edge of it, shaking his head and yawning. "Couldn't have. Not over the noise of those cats…"

Sasuke stepped back as well, so that he wasn't literally breathing down his teacher's neck. "So that's what has been bothering you for the past months?"

Iruka's head dropped a bit, but it was taken as an affirmative 'yes'. "They never seem to leave! It's like this perpetual cat party up my roof or something. Nothing I tried got rid of them…" he muttered, his head propped up on his hands.

"Why didn't you just ask us to get rid of them?" Sasuke attacked his teacher with a sensible question.

Iruka's eyes cracked open. "Ask you? Sasuke, do you know your high position? I'm only a teacher…"

"Then you didn't at least as Naruto?" the Uchiha ignored the vehement "Bastard!" from his pet but only continued gazing at his teacher.

He shrugged. "I didn't think it was rational to ask you two for help…"

"And you thought it was rational to be falling asleep in class? Have you _any_ idea how much we were struggling through class?" Sasuke snorted, speaking a bit too rudely at him.

"I'm sorry…" Iruka mumbled, obviously exhausted by months without adequate sleep.

Naruto leapt down quietly from the rooftop and caught Iruka as he fell forward, still mumbling an apology.

"No," he said, "we're sorry, Iruka-sensei…"

"Some attentive students we were…" Sasuke muttered as he helped Naruto place Iruka on his bed.

"Yeah…" the fox stepped back and leaned on Sasuke.

A small chuckle filled the air, mingling with the gentle snoring sounds of their teacher, who, for the first time in months, was able to sleep.

---

The next day, they did not attend Iruka's class. The reason for their ditching was obvious. After all, who was to bug someone who hadn't had good sleep for months?

So instead, they decided to go out of the palace for a while. That would be fun, they decided.

"Hey, Naruto," Sasuke looked at the fox absently. "I need to go pick something up, go wander around by yourself okay? Meet me back at the gates by the time the sun is high. I don't want to be late for Kakashi's class."

"Mmm…" Naruto answered and immediately detached himself from his anchor and floated away. His mind, usually filled with half finished questions and other miscellaneous thoughts, was filled with some rather deep ones today. Somewhat deep.

"_Neji, Neji, Neji…_" He thought to himself. He heard that name a lot of times before, when he was hanging out with the guys. Lee always exclaimed random bits of information in sudden bursts of "youthfulness" but on several occasions, the name "Hyuuga Neji" was brought up. Something "rival" or "beating him" or "not fate" or maybe was it, "hard work"? Something along those lines, Naruto decided, not really looking at where he was going.

"Who was that Neji guy anyway?" he muttered.

It was the second time he literally crashed into someone. The first time was Tsunade and the second time?

An arm caught Naruto before he fell.

"Sorreee….eee?" His apology was stretched to a ridiculous length as he looked up to a pair of pale, pale eyes. He stumbled back at the strange milky whiteness of those eyes. The fox's own blue eyes grew wide.

"I'm going to assume that you know Lee?" the tall boy asked.

Naruto gulped and nodded. _This is Neji? He's scarier that Sasuke-bastard!_

Suddenly, he saw someone poke her head from behind the boy. She had the same white eyes, though hers held an uncertainty and her cheeks held a blush that never seemed to fade away.

"Neji-niisama… Who is that?"

The older boy shrugged a bit, his eyes seemingly penetrating every single fiber of Naruto's being.

"I'm sorry about that…" Naruto muttered again, bowing slightly. He rarely bowed, if ever bowing at all. But somehow, this oppressive aura that this Neji boy radiated made him feel even more submissive than when with Sasuke. "I'm," he said, suddenly deciding to introduce himself, "Uzumaki Naruto." He didn't bother to add the rest of his 'title' which would continue as 'faithful pet and servant to the great Uchiha Sasuke-sama'. Iruka-sensei had taught him that the proper way to introducing himself was to say that embarrassingly long title. Naruto always stopped at his name and never went further, even when Sasuke was around.

"Hyuuga Neji," the boy briefly said and stepped aside to show his shyer companion. "And Hyuuga Hinata."

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Naruto-kun…" she immediately chose a suffix for him. It wasn't inappropriate, seeing that the Hyuuga clan was just prestigious as the Uchiha clan, and since Naruto was only a pet. She blushed even more as he grinned at her.

"Nnh!" He nodded cheerfully, dismissing the heavy feeling, seeing that both of them seemed rather friendly. "It sure is!"

Neji raised an eyebrow at the small fox's strange speech pattern. The longer he listened, the more he wondered why no one else was driven insane by the forever coming "dattebayo". From what he heard from Lee, Naruto belonged to Sasuke.

Uchiha Sasuke. They've met on a few times, for short meetings or sometimes by accident, and it seems as if they've formed a triangular rivalry. Sasuke, Neji, and Lee. It was never a spoken agreement, just an acknowledgement that no one except the three of them knew. Just a silent rivalry…

The stony boy stepped aside a bit as his usually bashful cousin engaged in a small conversation with the fox. The air filled with random endings of '-tebayo' and Hinata pointed that out, making the fox yip out some laughter at his own habit.

It was time for Neji's own mind to wander a bit as he watched the two talk.

Uchiha, Hyuuga, Uchiha, Hyuuga… Two prestigious families. Distant, very distant, relatives, yes. Uchiha and Hyuuga… Neji's pale eyes narrowed as he thought. Would the Hyuuga clan also meet an end as devastating as the Uchihas?

Neji looked up from his deep thoughts when he felt another presence approach them. Hinata shrank back and tried hiding behind her cousin when she saw Sasuke come.

"Eh? Bastard, why are you here? It's not time yet…" Naruto glanced up at his owner when Sasuke placed his hand on his head.

"Sasuke…" Neji and Hinata greeted, although Neji's was a bit more threatening than his cousin's.

His only response and acknowledgement to the two was a brief nod. "Hn," Sasuke breathed, rubbing his right ear a bit. "Sorry, we have to go now. It was nice seeing you two, Neji-san, Hinata-san…"

Naruto looked up at Sasuke for the sudden use of suffixes. He never really used them either. It was at that moment when Naruto wondered: _Are they more important than Sasuke?_

The two Hyuugas nodded as well and bade them a brief, but overly polite goodbye.

Hinata watched as Naruto chatted amiably toward the silent Sasuke. They seemed close. She admired Naruto's glossy hair and pretty eyes before she shyly turned to her cousin.

"Naruto-kun is rather good-looking, don't you think?"

There was a pause.

"Hinata-sama… Do not get mixed in with that fox. He will bring ill-fate…"

"But, niisama—"

His light eyes held deep hatred as he glared down upon her. "Hinata-sama," he said, his voice even and calm. "Do not tangle the strings of fate."

She stood there as he turned around. After all, it was only a coincidence that the two cousins met during their morning walk.

---

It's been three years since Sasuke and Naruto met. Three years, huh? That's quite a while for some growth here and there. While Sasuke had shot up in those three years, Naruto made even more impressive records.

Three years back, he was still a head shorter than Sasuke, now three years later, he was only a few centimeters below Sasuke's height. It was amazing, really, what puberty could do to you.

Ah, too bad for Sasuke, even Naruto's strength met his own, though his wit was another topic to speak about. No longer were those days when Sasuke could make an idle threat and keep to it. No longer would Naruto be the one struggling to win a brief wrestling match, but that didn't really matter to them.

It's been three years. "You know what they say," Sasuke had absently said to Naruto one day, "time flies when you're having fun."

And to that, Naruto had replied, "Was it really all that fun?"

His eyebrows rose when his owner's answer was a soft, "Yes."

But over the years, not everything was fun and games. Daily, almost to a perpetual pestering, Itachi had "discreetly" hinted to Sasuke that he should be choosing a wife soon. And that was three years ago.

With Naruto as an excuse, Sasuke was able to avoid his brother more and more until it was by pure coincidence if they ever ended up meeting each other, and even those rare meetings were short and hurried.

However, recently, now that Sasuke's sixteenth birthday had passed, Itachi had become even more persistent than ever. So by some freak chance of some sort, Sasuke, Naruto, Itachi, _and_ Sakura and Ino, found themselves talking to each other in the middle of the streets.

The only thing Sasuke remembered was suddenly being joined by Itachi as he and Naruto left the palace gates to do some daily wandering. They had been quiet the entire time, not really speaking. And even Naruto, who was not very familiar with Itachi, felt that it was not proper to speak when he was around.

And suddenly, they bumped into Sakura and Ino.

Quite aware of his brother's hard, scrutinizing gaze, Sasuke immediately left the side of his pet and brother and started a rather casual conversation with the girls. He had been pressured too much not to know what his brother wanted.

He had wanted Sasuke to start courting someone. But whether he understood that Sasuke did not want to get married or not, the boy had no idea.

"Sasuke-kun! You've gotten so handsome!" Ino squealed.

Sakura pushed her out of the way and stepped on her foot, gushing to Sasuke, "Don't listen to her! You've _been_ handsome for so long!" she blushed a bit, ignoring her friend's shriek of pain.

Naruto's ears twitched at the high pitched scream. He lowered his head when he heard Sasuke chuckle.

"Is that so, Sakura? I must say that you've gotten to be a rather beautiful young woman as well…" he smiled gently at her.

The fox began to wring his hands together, suddenly feeling strange. The man standing next to him seemed not to take notice at his distress, but only gazed pleased at his little brother's performance. A low laugh crept from his throat.

"Eh?" Sakura's pretty green eyes widened at the compliment as she turned even redder. Her pink hair was abruptly shoved down as Ino came forward again.

"What about me, Sasuke-kuuun?" she asked, flipping her pale yellow hair out of her face.

_Blue eyes_, Sasuke contemplated with himself, _not quite as pretty as Naruto's…Wait, no, I don't think that's how I should be thinking about Naruto… He's just my pet… Yeah…_

"Of course you've gotten rather attractive as well, Ino…" he glanced back behind him distractedly. His eyebrows furrowed when he noticed how uncomfortable Naruto seemed and how utterly pleased his brother looked.

_Why…_ Naruto thought to himself, twisting his hands together until they were red and raw, but he didn't feel or see the damage he was inflicting on himself. _Is this… 'jealously'? But why? I shouldn't be feeling this… After all, I'm only Sasuke's pet, nothing more…_ He shook his head vigorously and shoved his arms up his sleeves. He pinched himself hard enough to draw blood, but even that did not clear his head.

"Naruto-kun…" Itachi's smooth voice made the fox shiver and look up with frightened blue eyes.

Ever since he first met Itachi during their purchase, he always felt intimidated when he was around. It was a suffocating aura he gave off all the time. And it was hard to speak around him.

Though his eyes looked warm and welcoming, they were not. Even Naruto could tell. For if you looked deeply, closely, carefully, you could see the true malice that danced in those eyes. But everyone, everyone so oblivious, did not seem to notice it. Not Sasuke. Not Sakura. Not Ino. Not Kakashi. Not Iruka. Were they all blind?

"Y-Yes, Itachi-sama…?" Naruto whimpered, reverting back to unaccustomed and formal speech.

"Is something the matter, little one? You seem rather distracted…" Itachi never looked at Naruto during their brief exchange of words.

"N-No…" the fox lowered his head again, his fingers releasing the bit of skin that was held between his nails.

Once again, Naruto heard Itachi chuckle.

"Pretty ladies," the older Uchiha announced, taking a step forward. Sasuke immediately made way for his brother. "As much as I hate disrupting this conversation, I'm afraid that Sasuke must go back now. Perhaps another day then?"

Sakura and Ino bowed a bit. "Yes, Itachi-sama. Bye!" they giggled a bit. "Bye Sasuke-kun!" The two girls were fairly civil when they were around Sasuke, but once out of earshot, they began mumbling soft curses and random bits of information.

Naruto's keen ears could hear them say, "Sasuke-kun will definitely like me more!" and things like "Ino-pig, he'll marry me!" And all the while, he kept blinking rapidly, because for some strange, unexplained reason, his chest was hurting a lot, like when he caught a virus.

"Sasuke-kun. I have to attend to some business outside of the palace. You two can go back home." It wasn't a suggestion. Nor was it a request. It was a command disguised under layers and layers of false sweet sugar.

"Yes, onii-sama."

Yes. Affirmative. Yes. Master.

Sasuke nodded and bowed a bit.

Naruto looked up to see Itachi's retreating back and Sasuke's approaching figure. He stiffened. Sasuke didn't even look at him as he brushed past him. The fox felt the tenseness that Sasuke's body held at that moment. He quickly turned around and trotted after his owner.

---

Oh, how the wind passed by, how the birds would sing, how the sun would smile, how the grass would rustle, and how Sasuke… would… what? Stare at him?

Naruto felt especially unnerved, the way Sasuke was glaring a hole in his neck right now. His hand trembled above the plump, red, and ripe cherry tomato he was about to pick off the branch. Slowly, he turned around and plastered a forced smile on his face.

"What is it, bastard?"

Sasuke shrugged a bit and plucked a small tomato into his own basket.

The two of them were being useful and helping out the kitchen a bit. Actually, Sasuke had demanded that they have the entire tomato field to themselves for an hour. That guy really, really liked tomatoes. Tomatoes and rice balls. Tomato rice balls? Maybe not tomato rice balls…

Some strange reason later, Naruto was also dragged into the tomato picking task. They've been at it for about ten minutes.

A vein pulsed dangerously on his forehead. "You don't burn a hole in my neck for nothing."

"Were you jealous?"

Naruto's eyes widened at the sudden question and said just a tad bit too quickly. "Jealous of what?"

The Uchiha snorted and rolled a tomato between his fingers, inspecting it for any blemishes before tossing that into his basket as well.

The fox feigned ignorance. It was only yesterday that they met up with Sakura and Ino.

"You _were_ jealous," the boy confirmed, glancing over at the fox with half-lidded eyes.

"I—I was not!" his grip on the basket tightened.

"Oh?" a small smile played across Sasuke's face.

"I don't know what you're talking about," Naruto turned away huffily.

Angry silence settled down like stirred up dust until Sasuke broke it again by pulling up Naruto's left sleeve.

"Then what is this?" he was clearing indicating to a red spot on his arm, where Naruto had pinched himself hard.

"A… A cut," Naruto muttered furiously, snatching his arm away and walking a few steps further away from the boy.

Sasuke tilted his head with a bit of amusement. "You don't own me, you know? I own you." It was a strange stabastardnt, but Naruto understood it.

Sasuke did not belong to him. They were friends, nothing more. There was nothing to get jealous over. Nothing at all.

His jaw tightened as he nearly crushed a small, fragile tomato in his hand. Suddenly, he felt something hard press against his back.

"What do you want?" Naruto turned around and pushed the basket away from his stomach.

"Why are you so angry?" Sasuke readjusted the basket, since Naruto nearly knocked it out of his hands. He picked up a particularly large tomato and pressed it against Naruto's lips. "Hmmm?"

The fox tightened his lips and turned his head away, balancing the basket on his hip.

Sasuke bent his knees a bit and set down his basket. With his other free hand, Sasuke pinched Naruto's nose close. Though he tried, Naruto couldn't pull Sasuke's arm away with only one hand. Eventually, he opened his mouth and gasped for air.

Quickly, the tomato was popped into his mouth.

If it was something he really detested, it was fresh vegetables. So he rolled it around on his tongue, not sure what to do with it. He glared at Sasuke turning away again. He couldn't really spit it out, but he didn't want to swallow it either.

Naruto heard Sasuke laugh a bit and felt his arms hug his waist. The fox struggled against the bonds, but Sasuke merely turned him around, until they were facing each other again. Without another word, Sasuke was kissing him, his tongue rolling over the small tomato and bringing it between their mouths.

The fox growled unhappily as Sasuke broke the skin of the fruit and the acidic juice splashed over both their tongues. While Naruto furrowed his eyebrows at the taste, Sasuke pulled him closer, making him unable to flee.

His tongue grazed over Naruto's teeth and the remains of the tomato, spreading the sourness between them. Why was his pet so unwilling today? Usually he would kiss back with equal force…

When the fruit finally was consumed, Naruto pushed away and fell down, clutching the basket possessively. His head was turned down, so Sasuke could not see his face.

Finally abandoning his teasing, Sasuke crouched down in front of Naruto and placed his right hand on his head. The fox did not respond.

"What's wrong, moron?" he asked, hoping that the pet name would lighten the mood.

"I'm… not jealous…"

"Usuratonkachi…" Sasuke muttered, leaning over until his knees touched the ground between them.

"I'm… not…"

Sasuke hugged him, basket and all. "I know…"

"Sasuke…" Naruto buried his head into the crook of Sasuke's neck.

---

Sasuke sighed. Where did that moron go this time, he wondered to himself, just a bit irritated. He wandered about the long hallways, glancing here and there for a tuft of orange fur or a strand of yellow hair, or perhaps a flash of bright blue eyes.

How long has he been walking now? Maybe he was outside…?

The young Uchiha passed by Iruka's classroom, but he did not stop by there.

He stopped when he heard the door slide open. Turning around, he saw Iruka at the threshold. He beckoned him over.

"Is something the matter, Iruka?" Sasuke asked distractedly.

"Naruto… He isn't around right now?"

"No, I'm trying to look for—"

"Good," Iruka stopped him in mid-sentence. He lead Sasuke into the room and motioned for him to sit while he closed and locked the door.

The boy sat down, completely puzzled. Iruka usually didn't act this way.

He turned around and looked at the boy. Several long breaths went inside his lungs and out again. He sighed and prepared some tea for both of them, still not speaking.

"What's wrong?"

No answer.

"Iruka."

A loud sipping sound from the tea cup.

"_Iruka_."

Another sigh.

"Sasuke. I have to tell you something."


	7. Secret Meetings Everywhere!

"Naruto."

The fox sputtered and coughed a bit at the sudden mention of his name. It seemed familiar. He started to hit his chest and swallowed with some difficulty. He really wasn't expecting anyone to call him at that moment.

"Yes?" he croaked, his coughing subsiding a bit. When he turned around, he was indeed met with a familiar person.

"Ero-sennin?" he exclaimed, forgetting that his ramen was still waiting for him. Some of the broth began to trickle down the chopsticks and wet his hand.

"Stop calling me that," the man scowled and took a seat next to him.

Years ago, when Naruto was wandering around, he found this quaint little ramen shop called "Ichiraku's". Now, whenever he had the time or money, "borrowed" from Sasuke, he would come out and indulge himself with his favorite food.

One particular day, when he was walking to Ichiraku's, he passed a public bath, only to see this man peering into the woman's bath. And it was on that day when Jiraiya was donned with the nickname "Ero-sennin", much to his displeasure.

Naruto completely ignored the complaint but only continued to eat and talk at the same time. "What are you doing here?" The lukewarm broth splashed everywhere as he slurped up the noodles.

"Too many questions, kid," Jiraiya prodded him gently on the shoulder. Even though it was quite obvious that Naruto was not a 'kid' any longer, or human for that matter, the name stuck.

The fox's eyebrows rose as he tilted the bowl and emptied the broth into his mouth. A clear, resounding 'clink' was heard briefly when the bowl was set down again. The other patrons of the shop did not seem bothered.

"Then a question for you, Naruto," the man said quietly, making sure that the others in the shop could not hear him. He leaned on his elbows as he stared ahead; not looking at the fox's inquiring eyes.

"Hm?"

"Have you ever considered leaving your owner, Uchiha Sasuke?"

Naruto's tail began to wag a bit at the question. "That's a strange joke, Ero-sennin," he laughed a bit, wiping his mouth with a napkin and licking his lips. He bit the juncture between his thumb and forefinger, sucking at the leftover broth that had dripped onto his hand a while ago.

"It's not a joke. It's a question," Jiraiya's eyes slid over until he was staring at Naruto, his head still facing forward.

The blond found it unnerving to be looked at that way. His tongue retreated back into his mouth when he heard the seriousness in Jiraiya's voice. He chuckled again, but this time it was a nervous gesture. "No… I haven't. Why?"

"Just a question…" Jiraiya said quietly, and left abruptly, just like he had arrived.

He left the fox to sit there and to wonder about the peculiar question and the meeting of him that day.

---

"Bye Ino!" Sakura waved happily and trotted off to her own direction. It was only a brief meeting between friends/rivals, but today, Sakura didn't have much to do. She decided to try her luck and see if Sasuke was out of the palace today. With her hands folded neatly in front of her, she walked around, peering this way and that way, trying to be indiscreet with her spying.

Her pink hair flowed gently in the wind as she strolled along the streets, sometimes listening in a bit on a passing conversation. It was nice, just walking down the village like this. A small smile graced her lips as she went along, completely oblivious to the world just for that brief moment.

She jumped when she felt a smooth, obviously feminine hand, touch her on the shoulder.

"Ino—?" she stopped her question when she saw a tall, rather curvaceous woman standing there.

"Haruno Sakura…" she asked, then as if she had forgotten something, she added, "hime?"

"Ye-Yes?"

"I'm Tsunade."

---

After Iruka had said that he wanted to speak to him, they sat there for a long time. Sasuke had stopped interrogating his teacher when it appeared obvious that he was not going to say anything until the time was right.

Suddenly, the man stood up from the table and began to gather a variety of different scrolls from many different locations in the room. Soon, he had an armful of scrolls. He set them down gently on the spot in front of Sasuke.

"Please, Sasuke-sama," he said, once again attaching a suffix, "read them…"

Sasuke's pale fingers splayed against the cool cloth of the first scroll.

---

"And how do you think you will be able to provoke him so much?" a deep, somewhat grating voice filtered through the thin paper doors of a certain man's room.

There was a silence then a rustle of cloth as someone moved.

"I will find a way…"

A chuckle.

"Are you sure he holds that potential, Itachi?"

"Do not doubt my judgment, Kisame."

"… Who dares to…" came the dry response.

"Just a little bit more… Just a bit more to wait… That is when…"

---

"Did your talk with Naruto go well?"

Jiraiya shifted a bit and made himself more comfortable, leaning on the rough tree bark like that. He did not look up from the forest floor. The leaves rustled pleasantly as a breeze passed by, making little splotches of light splash across the man's face.

"Not so well," he replied.

There was a sharp 'snap' as Kakashi closed his book and looked up from his stump. He tucked the book away in a pocket.

"Oh my, oh my…" the man muttered.

"But," the older man spoke up, "there will be a way. They will be on the move soon."

"No. Not this soon."

"But soon."

"Hm…"

Kakashi stood up from his stump and started his lazy stroll back to the palace.

"When that time comes, take good care of him. 'Someone' will be upset if anything happens to him…" he said vaguely, allowing Jiraiya to fill in the blanks by himself. "I'll be off then…"

Jiraiya responded with a small laugh.

---

"What is this?" Sasuke asked suspiciously.

"Just scrolls," his teacher responded, waiting patiently for his student to open the scroll.

"_Uchiha Clan Rules and Regulations."_

The boy looked up at his teacher curiously.

"Please look at the one hundred seventeenth rule."

---

"Mmm, that was good!" the fox said cheerily, walking in his usual overly obnoxious gait. The people around him naturally flowed around him, avoiding his flailing arms and swinging tail.

_My, my, isn't he in a good mood today?_

A dark shadow passed by the area, but no one noticed it. They were all absorbed in their own daily activities, and had no time to worry about suspicious looking people around the village. Very suspicious looking…

_Where is his master?_

Naruto stopped by a shop and looked at the shiny crystal ornaments that hung from a merchant's small shop. He admired them for a moment before walking on. The stranger's sensitive ears picked up on the gentle chiming of the bell on Naruto's collar.

_Perhaps he is alone today?_

He broke out into a cheerful half trot, half skip as he went along. Something deep inside of him made him want to drop onto all fours and start running, like a cat or dog… or fox would do. But he restrained that feeling and continued to walk on his two feet.

_Too bad… Too bad…_

---

"_Each male member of the Uchiha clan, upon the age of thirteen is required to acquire a pet. This is mandatory, and is not excusable_."

There was more to that rule.

"_The pet is to stay with his master as a companion and bed slave."_

Sasuke's eyes looked up in horror. Iruka was not gazing back at him. He kept fiddling with his cup of tea. That's when he realized it. This was the original scroll. The one that Iruka had given to him three years ago was a copy.

The last two words would not leave his mind. It echoed and rang through his head.

"What?"

Iruka did not answer, but only offered him another scroll.

"Read the fourth section."

Sasuke did so without asking another question, the first scroll hastily discarded.

---

"Are you interested in joining me, Sakura?"

The pink haired girl looked at Tsunade. She had quickly discarded 'unnecessary' suffixes and honorifics a while ago.

"B-But why?" she asked, still confused at the offer. "This… This is too sudden…"

Tsunade looked away and gazed around her. "Don't you want to be a bit of help to Sasuke?"

She needed not to include his last name. Sakura already knew who she was talking of.

"Sasuke-kun? Why would he need my help? Is he in trouble?"

"No," Tsunade replied. "But he may be later on. Very soon, in fact."

The young girl's eyes sparkled with worry. "If it is to help Sasuke, then yes… But…"

"I don't want to make you troubled, or explain things that I am not one hundred percent certain of…" the woman stopped her from inquiring further with a short explanation. "But I will warn you that it will be hard learning healing…"

_Even though it is for the best of things_, Tsunade added silently.

"Healing…" Sakura's face fell for a moment. Does that mean that Sasuke might get hurt? Her heart pained with such a conclusion. There was a short silence as Sakura pondered over the question. "I'll follow you, Tsunade-sama…"

Tsunade smiled a bit. The girl must have had a certain will if she agreed so readily. It was not careful of her to be talking to Tsunade, a stranger, or accepting an offer made by her… But Sakura was lucky.

Tsunade meant no harm, but it was important that she taught her early on. After all, they didn't have much time left. Only a couple of months.

There held no explanation of background or true intention, but Sakura didn't care. As long as she could help Sasuke in one way or another. She didn't need those details. Not yet, not now…

---

"Should they not be here in a few months?" the same voice said.

"… Yes, they should be. I requested for their help a while ago."

"They will suffice, will they not?"

"If they don't, then we can interject."

"That will cause unnecessary problems, Itachi."

The name was added on as an emphasis.

"Or perhaps it would cause favorable outcomes…"

That familiar, sadistic laugh erupted from his throat.

"The more the merrier…"

Red.

Blood red.

Three dots with tails. Swirling, changing.

Morphing, turning, spinning.

Red.

Red eyes, so abnormal. So malicious. So evil. So deadly.

"Careful, Itachi. Don't use 'it' so hastily…"

Sharp.

Shiny white.

Rough blue.

Gills?

White eyes, blue skin.

He grinned.

Kisame, was it?

He grinned.

---

"I'm ho—" Naruto stopped his usual greeting when he saw that the room was empty. "Sasuke?"

Only his own breathing responded.

---

"Why?"

It slipped out between the flimsy sheets of paper doors.

"Why?"

Again.

Iruka winced at the loud voice Sasuke was using. He knew this would happen.

The scroll was dropped alongside many other ones. It unrolled further, the words laughing and mocking at Sasuke.

His usually pale skin was flushed red, both from embarrassment and anger.

"Iruka, why did you lie to me? Why did you do this? This—" he stopped abruptly. He jabbed a finger accusingly at the open scroll.

"_The sole purpose that humanoid pets were created—_"

"Sasuke, I… Couldn't bring myself to make you know this so early on… Too early…"

"—_was for the sole purpose of being bed slaves to prestigious families. That is their life and reason for life."_

"So I copied all the scrolls you wanted… So you would not have to face such horrid things so early in life," Iruka still did not look up.

"You think…"

"_Their worthless lives were created to allow young males to please their wives when they marry. It is an act carried by many families, although the tradition is wearing thinner now."_

"… that these lies were not horrid?" Sasuke's voice dropped and he leaned on the low table in order for Iruka to hear. Anger was suddenly replaced with apprehension and he started to speak in an oddly fervent tone. "I—I saw what Itachi did to everyone…"

The teacher was in total shock now. No one spoke of that incident. "Sasuke-sama!" he cried in an attempt to silence the fuming boy.

"Was that not horrid?" his furious whispers filled the room. It was as if he had momentarily lost his self control and just continued to rant on.

"Sasuke!" Iruka tried hushing him.

"You lied to me, Iruka! Lied. I… always thought that Naruto—He…" His hands formed into fists. A few streams of blood trickled from his palms.

Iruka calmed when he saw that Sasuke had regained his sanity.

"_Pets are usually discarded or killed after their purpose is filled."_

"He is not an item. He is a life, no matter what… This terrible 'tradition'… I will stop it. He will not only serve me as a bed slave, Iruka," his stony gaze met his teacher's. Sasuke's furrowed brows became even more tightly bunched together as he spoke.

"_Because of the reason that humanoid pets fill, female members of prestigious families are not allowed a pet. They are to remain pure until after marriage."_

"That was not my purpose for showing you this, Sasuke…" Iruka relazed when he saw that Sasuke was somewhat calm, though it was forced.

"What do you mean?" The look of surprise filled his face.

---

"Saa—suke?" Naruto walked around one of the many gardens in the palace. He wondered where he could be at. Usually he was in the room, always waiting for him to return.

"Naruto-kun, what's wrong?" a warm, comforting voice addressed him.

"Kakashi-sensei!" Naruto recognized the voice immediately. He trotted to where his teacher was, on a tree branch, once again reading his book.

His visible eye turned into a happy upside-down 'U' as he smiled.

"What are you doing here?"

---

"Sakura, don't tell anyone that I'm teaching you, alright?"

She nodded without asking a question. It was an unconfirmed trust that they were building right now.

"Sasuke-kun… He won't…?" she left it as an open ended sentence.

Tsunade's brown eyes turned hard again.

"I'm sorry. I won't ask…" the pink haired girl felt that everything would be explained later, but she could not stop feeling curious.

"I understand that you are impatient to know why I'm so abruptly asking for your apprenticeship, but I beg of you, Sakura, not to ask right now. If anyone knows that I am teaching you, I fear that everything will fall to ashes…"

"I… understand, Tsunade-sama…"

"Good. Please meet me back here tomorrow then…"

"Yes."

---

"Itachi-sama…" Iruka began explaining, "does not know of your… ignorance toward Naruto's true existence. He believes that you are simply waiting for Naruto to reach that stage of maturity…" he paused here and made vague hand gestures in the air before going on, "But although I understand your reluctance to make Naruto's existence such a lowly one… There is a problem."

"Which is?" Sasuke's hands loosened. They were shaking a bit his earlier rage. A small puddle of blood had formed under his fists.

Iruka sighed. "See, Sasuke… Originally, the humanoid pets were genetically altered animals, regular animals, until they mutated to what we have today. But they still have some wild traits such as those of their wild ancestors long ago. Their ears and tails were generally kept for appearance, but some other traits stayed back as well. The altering made some traits change…"

The boy watched his teacher suspiciously. After a three year lie, he did not know whether to trust him or not…

"Sasuke… Naruto will be entering his first heat in a few months… After his sixteenth birthday…" Iruka gave up on trying to delay the truth.

Sasuke fell back at the information. "What?"

"If I researched correctly, it will last for about a week, in which you will be excused from all your classes…" he cleared his throat embarrassedly. "I showed you the true scrolls so that you would understand… that I'm not trying to force you to deface Naruto…"

"Na…Naruto… He…"

"I, myself, do not like the act of acquiring a pet to use in such a way, but… It is something that cannot be helped right now. Almost all of the other prestigious families have dropped this horrendous act long ago, after realizing that humanoid pets were not just items… I don't believe that your friends should know of the true purpose of a pet, either. That is why you do not know of this until now…" he sighed.

Sasuke kept quiet. He didn't think it would be wise of him to go telling the guys about this either, but he was curious to know how many more people knew of a humanoid pet's truth for living?

"For that one week, and every year following that, Naruto will be in a very uncomfortable situation…" Iruka jostled him out of his thoughts.

Sasuke was completely red, but it was purely out of embarrassment this time. He won't lie. Over the past three years, he will admit that there were a few strange instances where he was actually sexually interested in Naruto, but he never gave much thought to it. He didn't know what it was, really. No one ever taught him. He never read any scrolls about that topic, since Iruka had kept him innocent for so long.

But being taught "Health 101" right now was not very comfortable. Not after learning the truth about Naruto's existence and the things that will be happening to him in a few months.

A sudden thought surfaced into Sasuke's mind. Why hadn't he ever thought of it years ago? "Iruka, if I have Naruto, then Itachi…? What about him?"

"He killed his pet the day he acquired him." There was no more to that explanation

Sasuk lowered his head.

After clearing his throat, Iruka began the long postponed lesson.

The young Uchiha kept his face obscured with his long blue-black hair as Iruka explained it all.

For a sixteen year old, now considered a young man, to be learning this lesson… It was mortifying.

At the end of the day, Sasuke was given a few… scrolls to 'study' upon for a while, much to his humiliation. Before he left, Iruka apologized to him again, quietly.

"Sasuke-sama, please do not hate me for keeping this away from you for three years… I did not want to, but…"

"Iruka… I understand. You need not be sorry… Perhaps… Perhaps it is a good thing that you kept it from me for so long…" Sasuke swallowed a bit and readjusted the scrolls under his arms.

"I'm sorry," the teacher repeated anyway, bowing deeply. "Please, please understand," his eyes pleading.

"Stop. Stop it." Sasuke said, suddenly growing furious again.

Iruka straightened quickly and pressed his lips together in a thin line. He nodded and watched as Sasuke walked away quickly.

_I'm still lying…_ Iruka scolded himself, sighing miserably. _How much longer do I have to keep him like this?_ He pressed a hand against his forehead and retreated into his room.

---

"So I'm not really sure about the other ramen I tried…" Naruto kept rambling on while Kakashi kept him distracted.

Suddenly, someone walking down the hall caught his attention.

"Eh? Isn't that Sasuke-bastard?" Naruto looked closer. "It is! Oh, I'll talk to you tomorrow then, sensei! _Bastard_!"

" Mission completed…" Kakashi said under his breath, disappearing in a puff of smoke. If it wasn't for that mask over his face, you could actually see him smiling, though with that cloth over his features, that was impossible.

Sasuke suddenly found himself being jumped on by Naruto.

"Bastard! Where were you?" he immediately began question, poking at the scrolls under his arm.

With some difficulty, Sasuke was able to ignore Naruto's ranting and drag the fox and himself back into the room. The scrolls were quickly stowed away into a locked container and hidden away from the fox's reach.

"What was that, bastard? Why aren't you answer—ing?" he stretched out his question. After an entire day of not seeing his owner, he was especially annoying.

"Shut up, moron…"

"Nooo, I won't shut up, bastardeee," he became even more annoying at the sudden demand. Naruto began to poke at Sasuke's weird spiky hair, pulling on it, tugging at his robes, biting his fingers, and poking his face in front of him, just to get him mad as Sasuke tried to go around the room doing his own business.

The boy finally snapped and shoved the fox onto the floor, keeping him down with his heavier body.

Naruto yelped with surprise as his head hit the tatami floor, hard.

"Nyaaah, bastard!" Naruto began to complain, but nothing more could come out because he found his soul being sucked out by Sasuke.

Sasuke definitely was not in a good mood. After learning all the things he never wanted to learn in those last few hours, he was on his last nerve. And Naruto just made him break.

His tongue pushed against Naruto's demandingly, harshly. Blue eyes were wide in confusion as he was fiercely kissed. Sasuke usually wasn't this furious, even with his teasing. He squeaked and whined in displeasure, but his owner paid no heed.

Sasuke grabbed the fox's wrists and held them above his head, where he could not use them to push him off. His neck was overexposed. It was an uncomfortable and vulnerable position and Naruto was not happy about it. He still had some wild traits in him and he struggled a bit as Sasuke began to lick and bite his neck.

It wasn't as if Sasuke never kissed him there, it's just that they never kissed lying down like that, where Naruto could do nothing. His dominant side bubbled up as he tried to push Sasuke off, but to no avail. Finally, he gave up.

The boy bit his lower lip and licked it, panting, like he usually does when they kissed, but this time, it was a bit more needy that usual. His breaths came out in ragged intervals, and his eyes burned with something terrible.

Just when Naruto thought that he could die from all his air being taken away from Sasuke, the boy got off Naruto and walked away angrily, his robes fluttering behind him.

The fox wiped away the saliva that slid down the side of his mouth, staring at Sasuke's retreating back.

_Did I do something wrong?_

---

"Are we sure of this? Absolutely sure?" It was a male voice.

There they were in a dark room, accompanied by only a few flickering candles.

"Yes. Absolutely sure." A sigh and an irritated female voice accompanied this. The confirmation was laced with sarcasm.

"So…" There was a pause. Then the sound of a stack of paper being tapped onto a table was heard. "Only a few more months, huh?"

"Not sure about that yet." This time, the voice that answered was gentler and more patient.

"What?" Grey hair stuck out and nearly singeing on a nearby candle.

"It appears that there is an infiltrator in the village as of right now. No connection to Itachi though."

An animalistic snort came from somewhere on the ground.

"Then who does he work for?" A lazy eye scanned the room.

A heavy silence reined the small room again.

And the name was uttered.

"Orochimaru."

"Hm… That causes for some trouble…"

Kakashi rubbed the edge of the stack of papers he held.

Jiraiya and Tsunade stayed quiet as they sat at the rickety old table of their secret meeting room.

Shizune looked at the floor and sighed a bit to the disgruntled TonTon.


	8. To Love Him Forever

"Damn bastard…"

Sasuke's eyebrow twitched. _Freaking moron can't even stop insulting me in his sleep…_ he complained to himself mentally and gripped the scroll in his hand harder. The edges wrinkled at his ire.

Even in his choler, he could not hide the dark blush on his face. He was sitting there, studying, you could say, for Naruto's sake.

In a couple of weeks, it would be Naruto's birthday. He had avoided those disconcerting scrolls for at least a month or two until he finally decided it was time to read them. So, late at night, after he had confirmed that the fox was asleep, he would slip out from beneath the blankets and read them. Naruto had forgotten about the hidden scrolls long ago.

Within the dim, fluctuating beams of a candle, Sasuke continued to read until he felt exhausted and humiliated beyond his physical limits, he blew out the flame and snuck back under the blanket.

Naruto's arms and legs automatically latched onto his body when he unconsciously realized that there was a source for warmth. Sasuke sighed resignedly and tucked an arm around Naruto's shoulder. He kissed him lightly on the forehead before burrowing his face into the blond hair.

---

The next morning, after their bath, Sasuke had stepped out of the bathing area and spotted a pile of clothes near the entrance of their room.

"Hm?" Ssauke rubbed his head with the towel a bit more vigorously before letting it drop onto the floor. Slowly, he strolled over to the pile of clothes. He stooped down and snatched the note off the top of the clothes, quickly scanning over the painfully neat and pretty characters.

"_Sasuke-kun,_

_I do believe it is about time for you two to receive some new clothing. It has been a while since this older brother of yours has given you a gift, right? I hope you like them, and if they don't fit, please see the tailor about it._

_-Itachi"_

The young Uchiha snorted. There had to be some hidden trap within that nice gesture. It wasn't right for Itachi to be nice.

Still, his curiosity overtook him and he shook the first robe open. It looked nice enough, with small spirals and curls blossoming from some obscure corner of the robe. It was obviously for Naruto, with all the orange and blue hues on it.

He shook it again, preparing to fold it up again when something fell from amidst the creases of the cloth. Sasuke hunched down to pick up a medium sized, metal container. Rolling it around the palm of his hand, he discarded the robe onto the floor and flipped open the lid.

Behind him, the Uchiha heard Naruto open the door leading to the springs and walked into the room, already being annoying. He was rubbing his short hair dry, and the towel was conveniently placed over his eyes.

"Hey, Sas—uke," he drawled out lazily. "What's for breakfast todaaay?"

When his owner did not respond, Naruto pulled off the towel from his head and saw him in a crouching position. He swore he saw those shoulders shaking. "Sasuke?"

The fox flinched in shock when Sasuke suddenly punched the tatami floor as if it had betrayed him something terrible.

Sasuke's right hand was turning white from the iron grip he used to almost crush the metal container. An evil, twisted smile was set on his lips. It wasn't a happy smile though. It was more of a "This is going to make me want to kill that bastard even more" smile.

Within the death grip of Sasuke's hand was a metal container. A round, cylindrical metal container. And within that container it held… It held something that made Sasuke hunch over and start hitting the ground with a vengeance.

It was lube.

---

That day, Iruka acted as if nothing was going on. But there was in fact, and it was distracting Sasuke quite a bit.

Naruto, who usually sat across from Sasuke was now almost sitting on his lap. Sasuke found that it was difficult to study and read when the fox was rubbing his chin all over his shoulder and neck.

"Naruto," Sasuke growled, pushing him off over and over again, but the blond would not get off. Instead, he simply scrambled back on, occasionally nipping and licking at Sasuke's neck.

"I have some business to do this afternoon, so you two are dismissed early…"

From the way Iruka was looking at him, however, Sasuke deciphered the message as "I'll go tell Kakashi to let you two off for two weeks."

The boy nodded and tried to walk out with Naruto stuck on him.

A fixed frown is displeasure seemed to permanently glue itself onto Sasuke's lips as he dragged his pet back to his room. This, the chin rubbing and biting, was sign number one. He didn't think Naruto was aware of how ridiculous he was acting, so he wasn't mad, but damn it, it was so annoying!

"Naru—" and just as it started, it suddenly stopped. Naruto detached himself from Sasuke and began to wander around the room. Sasuke stood there, without the weight of Naruto draped on him, and sighed.

The Uchiha walked over to his pet and hugged him from behind. He felt Naruto cringe a bit in surprise but quickly relaxed. The blond turned his head until his nose was aligned with his shoulder.

A smile of content spread across his face as he inhaled deeply.

"Sasuke, you carry my scent now…" he murmured, rubbing his head against his neck.

"Geez, I wonder why…" Sasuke said sarcastically, moving his head a bit so Naruto could nudge against him a bit more easily.

From his waist, Sasuke's hand wandered up until he was pulling lightly at the fox's hair. His fingers rubbed the strands, enjoying the slightly rough, yet silky feeling. Naruto turned around so that they were facing each other.

Sasuke leaned in a bit and kissed the fox on the lips lightly, still holding onto his waist and playing with his hair. He could feel Naruto smile into their chaste kiss before he pulled away and began to rub Naruto's left ear. He always did that as a calming gesture, whenever Naruto was feeling stressed or overexcited.

His index finger traced the sharp tip of the foxish ears until Naruto flicked it a bit. It tickled him when Sasuke did that. The Uchiha chuckled a bit before nuzzling his pet's neck. He licked his jaw lightly, making Naruto purr slightly.

Naruto's tail began to twitch a bit when Sasuke lifted his head and kissed him on the forehead. Suddenly, he found himself being pushed down until Sasuke was straddling him again.

"Sasuke, what are you doing?" Naruto's calm immediately dispersed and was replaced with fear. His pupils were large as Sasuke sat on him, gazing at him serenely. He wasn't angry this time, and that made Naruto feel a bit less threatened.

"Just teaching you something…" Sasuke murmured as he leaned down, pressing his lips against Naruto's again. It was a short kiss, just a reassurance that he meant no harm. "If you don't like what I'm doing, just say it and I'll stop… Okay?"

Naruto swallowed with a bit of difficulty and nodded.

Although Sasuke knew Naruto's heat was approaching, he was certain that he wasn't officially in it yet. It was pure instinct that told Naruto to rub against Sasuke until his scent was on him. After all, Naruto _was_ male.

Because of the gender that they both shared, _someone_ was going to end up on the bottom, and it would go against their instinct terribly. Sasuke wasn't going to be uke. Not the first time, anyway. And because Naruto was still blissfully innocent, it was up to Sasuke to teach him everything. Physically, mind you. He wasn't going to sit down with Naruto and teach him about the birds and the bees.

Sasuke didn't want to scare the heck out of Naruto on their first time, so he decided, why not just teach him gradually? It was like teaching your pet something new, right? Just bit by bit until they grew accustomed to it.

"You okay?" Sasuke asked him gently as he began to tug at the fox's obi.

Naruto certainly was a nervous wreck as Sasuke began to pull off his kimono gingerly. The only time he ever took off his clothing was during bath time, and something told him that this was _definitely_ not bath time.

"Nnh…" he said, nodding a bit. His face was colored rather nicely.

The Uchiha continued until Naruto's robes were only clinging onto his limbs, his front exposed. Sasuke smiled lightly and began to suck and bite his shoulder gently. He wasn't exactly happy when Naruto shuddered a bit, from fear, he supposed. If Naruto was not comfortable and scared, why didn't he stop him?

One of his hands began to trace down his chest while the other one sought for Naruto's hand. He pressed their palms together before lacing their fingers into a loose grasp. He could feel Naruto's heart quicken, from pleasure or fear, Sasuke could not decipher. When Sasuke began to playfully suck on Naruto's nipple, a squeak came from his throat.

"S-Sasuke, stop…"

Sasuke drew back and shifted until his face was directly above Naruto's. He looked fixedly into his eyes. They were filled with fear. Automatically, Sasuke's hand began to stroke Naruto's left ear.

The fox's erratic heartbeat and labored breathing evened out over a some time and his eyes began to glaze over, a sure sign that Sasuke's comforting was making him sleepy. The boy laughed quietly and kissed Naruto deeply before standing up.

Naruto could not help but to feel disappointed when Sasuke's comfortable weight disappeared.

"Come on, lazy," Sasuke beckoned and began to get some new clothes to wear.

The fox sat up, his robes sliding off his shoulders. Hastily, he pulled them back up and went into the bath, not waiting for Sasuke.

_This might take a while…_ Sasuke smiled and strolled in calmly after him.

---

He couldn't help it really. Naruto had no idea what was happening to him as of the moment. Even when it was nice and cool, he always became hot and sweaty for some reason. More so if Sasuke is around.

There was this terrible, terrible urge in his gut that kept making him want to jump his owner. Quite literally too… When he was around, or not around for that matter, he wanted to kiss him, hold him, touch him, bite him, lick him, hug him… Just to be close to him. Something told him it wasn't normal, but his head was currently out of order.

His muddled mind was cleared a bit when his perky ears twitched to the sound of water. Naruto's entire body shivered in excitement when he felt Sasuke run his hands through his hair. Instinctively, he pushed his head up for more contact, his tail going haywire.

"Excited much, Naruto?" Sasuke asked, somewhat unenthusiastically. He shifted the bag he was carrying a bit. Inside were two towels and their lunch for today.

They were heading over to a private pond Sasuke had 'rented' out for the day. He had earlier explained that Kakashi and Iruka were fed up with the two of them and needed a two week break from them. Naruto took the bait.

The fox didn't answer, but only darted ahead of him before turning back and looking expectantly at him, as if waiting for him to catch up. He did this several times, returning to Sasuke and tugging on his wide sleeves.

"Come on, come on!" he urged, trying to make the boy walk faster.

The Uchiha sighed a bit before relenting. He stopped completely and made Naruot peer at him with a perplexed expression.

An almost frightening, on Sasuke anyway, grin split his face as he exclaimed, "Race you there!" and took off.

It wasn't normal for Sasuke to grin. It wasn't normal for him to yell, except for in anger. It wasn't normal. That is, it wasn't normal if he did that when Naruto wasn't around. Naruto was like a key to a lock. He unlocked something deep inside of Sasuke.

Perhaps the door he unlocked was the door to his missing childhood. The one in which he never was able to enjoy and live through fully. He never ran around laughing, or smiled, or had fun, or relaxed, or played. It was always doom, danger, anger, angst, brooding, studying, training, training, training. For what? To become better than his brother, maybe.

Was it too late to relive it now? At the age of sixteen? Maybe. After all, it was peculiar to see a young man laughing and running around like that. Stranger still to see a human-like creature with fox ears and tails chasing after him. But no one was there to see the odd sight, so neither of them cared.

"Cheater, Sasuke!" Naruto yelled, trying to keep up with him. Suddenly, he decided that running on all fours may have been just a bit better, so he did so.

Sasuke was pretty sure he was going to win. Really sure. He was really fast and besides, he had an earlier start. But somehow, somewhere, Naruto caught up with him. Darn.

They were almost at the lake when Naruto decided that it would be fun to tackle Sasuke down. So, again, he did so. Sasuke fell over and rolled a few times, Naruto hugging his waist.

"Ow, grass burn, moron!" he complained immediately after them tumbled down to a stop. They _nearly_ fell into the lake. That would have been bad.

Naruto's only apology was a laugh at him and a hug.

"You're going to pay for that," Sasuke threatened malevolently.

"Such a spoilsport, Sasuke!" Naruto pouted a bit, leaning down for a quick kiss.

When he tried to pull away, he found that he couldn't. The reason to that was because Sasuke was holding onto his collar.

"Sasu—" he began to protest, however that was quickly stopped as well.

A warm tongue swiped at his bottom lip and the complaints instantaneously halted. The Uchiha's breath was knocked out when Naruto roughly shoved his head to the grassy ground with an urgent kiss.

_It's abnormal for him to be so demanding_, Sasuke thought to himself, even though he knew the reason to that. He smirked into their kiss and nudged the boy off.

"Weren't we here for a swim?" he gently teased, pressing his lips against the fox's faintly whiskered cheeks.

Naruto grinned ecstatically, licking Sasuke's cheek before rolling off and sitting on his haunches.

Soon, they were both nude and in the water. Naruto had the most peculiar way of swimming. He resembled an aquatic snake when he did. It was strange enough that he was only half submerged, so all you could see was his eyes and nose, but the fact that he used his tail as a propeller was just hilarious.

So, perching at the shore of the lake, Sasuke started to laugh. He gasped for air as he watched Naruto skimming the water's surface, having the time of his life. And in his mirth, Sasuke wasn't paying attention to the increasingly mischievous expression Naruto was donning. He didn't even notice when Naruto ducked down under the water, until he couldn't see him any more.

All of a sudden, he felt two frigid, wet hands grasp his ankles. And with that, he was yanked into the lake. Fortunately for him, he was able to take a breath and not choke on water. His eyes clenched tightly together as he felt the liquid suck him in.

The lake itself was pretty deep, as if to make of for its small circumference. The bottom was easily three or four meters down. So down, down, closer and closer to the abysmal bottom, the chilly water swirling and rushing past Sasuke's blurry vision. And a blob of yellow and orange hovered before him. If they were above water, Sasuke would have most certainly yelled at Naruto for nearly drowning him, but seeing that they weren't, there was nothing he could do.

At his accomplishment of having caught Sasuke off-guard and even pulling him down into the water, Naruto wore a grin. Held in suspension, the two of them stared at each other, their eyes stinging a bit, but happy nonetheless. Even Sasuke was, despite his entrance into the water.

Then, as if taken suddenly by impulse, Naruto grabbed Sasuke by the shoulders and crushed his lips together, small air bubbles whirling around their nostrils and mouths.

_I want…_ Naruto thought as they kissed. _I want Sasuke… Sasuke, touch me, hold me, kiss me… Sasuke, Sasuke…_

When they finally ran out of breath, both of them kicked toward the surface. Their gasps for air filled the serene silence for several moments before they caught their breath. An impish smile lit up Naruto's face as they tread water. His fur and hair stuck together from the wetness, effectively plastering against his skin.

He swam closer to Sasuke and brushed away his wet bangs. His unusually spiky hairstyle was damp and no longer as spiky. In fact, it looked as if Sasuke had his hair down, like a girl. And surprisingly, his hair is pretty long when it was wet. But he didn't look all that pleased.

"I could have drowned, you know," Sasuke reprimanded, his usual scowl replacing his rare smile again.

"But you didn't…" Naruto stated, swimming over to Sasuke. The Uchiha's frown quickly dissolved and turned into a soft smile only Naruto has ever seen. The fox's warm arms wrapped around his neck as he hugged his owner loosely. He kissed him lightly on the neck and murmured something incoherently to Sasuke.

"Hm?" Sasuke asked when he found that he could not decipher what Naruto was mumbling. His own hands supported his pet's waist as they floated along in the middle of the lake.

His train of thought stopped when he felt sharp teeth graze onto his shoulder. There was some pressure on that particular spot before it turned into slight pain. Even his strong Uchiha willpower could not kill the groan that came from his throat. He buried his head onto Naruto's neck and sucked on his neck gently.

"I want to bite you…" Naruto growled louder this time into Sasuke's ear.

The boy chuckled a bit, slightly amused by the tone of voice Naruto was using. "You already did…"

Somehow they ended back up on the shore and Naruto was draped over Sasuke. Eventually, both of them ended up with red marks over their body. After a while, Naruto grew tired and sleepy and ended up sprawled on Sasuke's body.

While Sasuke idly held the fox's body close to his own and began to pet him lightly, his brain began to whorl. Lately, Nartuo got tired extremely easily. That, Sasuke concluded, was sign number two. There was only one last symptom left.

Narauto stirred from his light nap. He sighed contentedly.

It was going to be soon…

---

"Sasuke-kun."

Sasuke stopped immediately and turned around. "Yes, nii-san?"

Itachi did not answer but only indicated for him to follow him into his room.

When they were seated, Itachi calmly poured out another cup of tea for his brother. Sasuke's jaw started to hurt after a few minutes of clenching them.

"As you should know." Pause. Sip. "Sasuke, you are of the right age to marry." Pause. Look up. "And I do think you should be able to choose a nice girl to marry." Pause. Smirk. "By the end of next month." Pause.

Swallow. Nervous. Wait. Think. Nervous. "Yes, nii-san."

"Good. Then I will be awaiting your choice at the end of next month."

When Itachi did not say anymore, Sasuke excused himself and went outside.

Crouching on the floor, Sasuke tried to clear his mind. It wasn't a very long conversation. More like a trading of a few words, really… But somehow, it didn't go through his head very well.

He was supposed to have someone picked out to marry by the end of the month?

_Great_, Sasuke thought sourly.

---

"Iruka-sensei?"

"Yes, Naruto?"

"… Uh…"

"_Yes_, Naruto?"

Naruto laughed nervously and looked up from his scroll.

Iruka was at his desk, reading as well. Even though Naruto thought Kakashi and Iruka wanted a break from Sasuke and him, Iruka happily invited him into his room for a chat. Somewhere in their chat, both of them picked up scrolls and began reading.

Naruto and his fictional story. Iruka and his own studies.

And now, Naruto had asked Iruka a question. Yes, that's where you came in.

"Uh… Iruka-sensei, what does this word mean?" Naruto scurried over to where his teacher was situated at and pointed at a character on his scroll.

The teacher faltered when he realized what word he was pointing at. "Oh… That word, Naruto?"

The fox nodded to confirm.

"It's an emotion," Iruka answered quickly, hoping that the fox would be satisfied with that. But of course, Naruto was _not_ satisfied with that answer.

"Like happiness?"

"Sort of."

"Then what is it?"

"It…" A frown appeared on the teacher's face. He knew that this question would eventually float up. It was just sort of amazing that after so many years, Naruto finally found it. "Hmm… Well…"

"Is it that hard to define?" Naruto asked with a tinge of sarcasm.

"Actually, it is."

The fox's eyebrows shot up at that answer.

"Really?"

"Describing any emotion is difficult, Naruto," Iruka stated matter-of-factly. He murmured the word. "Love…" He hesitated a little bit before he continued.

"Love is like… It feels like your heart just flutters. Like you're floating on air, falling maybe, soaring maybe, spinning, swirling, jumping, leaping… It feels like you want only one person by your side. And you would want to protect that person forever. You won't want that person to get hurt or sad. You want them to be happy. And as long as they are happy, so will you.

"Love is like a sweet thing, the sweetest thing. It's fragile and strong, both at the same time. Sometimes you won't know that you're in love. Sometimes you will. Sometimes you will be afraid of love, and other times you will embrace it dearly. You don't know what it really is, and it can never be truly defined, but love is love. It is that.

"It can be in many forms. Many, many different forms. So many forms, it is uncountable. Indescribable. But each and every single form gives you a deliriously good feeling inside. You can spend your life studying each type of love, but in the end, it only results in happiness. Or perhaps…" his voice dropped low, "…sometimes pain…"

Iruka stopped his speech and looked at a dazed looking Naruto. He chuckled sheepishly. "Do you understand?"

Naruto shook his head. "No. Not really," he said truthfully. "Not all of it, but I think I understand it a bit more. Thanks Iruka-sensei."

The man laughed warmly. "No problem, Naruto."

"Do you love me then, Iruka-sensei?"

"Yes. You are like a son to me…" his eyes gained a faraway glaze.

"What about Kakashi-sensei? Do you think he loves me?"

"Of course, Naruto."

A long, comfortable silence settled over the two.

"Iruka-sensei?"

"Yes, Naruto?"

"Do you think Sasuke loves me?"

Iruka's lighthearted mood immediately drained away. He spoke in a soft voice.

"Naruto… That is dangerous to ask…"

He didn't bother to ask 'Why?' since he knew Iruka would not have answered him anyway.

"I am tired…"

And with that, Naruto took the hint and bowed politely at the teacher, taking his leave quietly.

_Dangerous_.

Naruto wandered around aimlessly until he turned a corner and crashed into someone. He automatically bent at the waist and mumbled a string of apologies.

_Dangerous._

"Naruto…"

_Dangerous…_

"Sasuke?"

_To who?_

Numbly, Sasuke held onto Naruto, not letting go, as if it would kill him if he released his grip.

_Am I dangerous?_

"Naruto…" Sasuke repeated, pressing his forehead onto the fox's shoulder. "Naruto, Naruto…"

_Am I going to hurt Sasuke?_

Frantically, almost, Sasuke kissed the fox. There was no response. He pulled back quickly, gazing at Naruto's face. It shone with tears.

"S-Sasuke…"

---

He had tried, really, to make Naruto tell him what was wrong. But it didn't work. Not at all. He wouldn't respond to him no matter what he tried. But they were both equally exhausted by today. Because today was not a very kind day for them.

"Naruto… Nii-san... He…" Sasuke started, hoping that Naruto could hear him. "He wants me to choose someone to marry… By the end of next month…"

Sasuke waited. There was no answer.

Then suddenly: "Who will you pick?"

Something hurt inside of Sasuke. He didn't know if it was physical or not, but it hurt. So badly. That voice Naruto used. It felt empty and dead. Almost like dried leaves in winter, waiting, just waiting, to be crushed and thrown away.

"No one."

"Why?"

"Because… There is no one whom I love."

"Itachi-sama will…"

"I don't care what ni-san will do to me. He won't kill me."

Another silence. It crackled and ripped at their throats, making them unable to speak. Such dryness in the air. Such quietness. Such false, false calmness.

The calm before a storm…. Was it not?

"Sasuke… Do you love me?"

The boy did not respond immediately.

Naruto did not wait for him to reply.

_Will I be dangerous to Sasuke?_

His blue eyes shone in the semi-darkness of the hallway. They glittered.

_I'm sorry, Sasuke. I'm going to hurt you, won't I? I'm sorry._

He ran. Unheedingly to the calling voice of his owner, he ran. Blindly.

_But why?_

Out of the palace gates. Out to the streets. Wandering. Aimlessly. Lost. Crying. Wondering. Confused.

_Do I love Sasuke?_

And finally, he crumpled onto the floor, not caring what the people around him were thinking.

_Can I love?_

The tears that fell did not matter to the people. Crazy, crazy, that's what they thought. He's crazy. Insane.

"Naruto-kun?" a voice asked. It was so sweet and familiar….

Naruto turned up his dirt-stained face to gaze at the inquirer.

"Sakura…. chan…."

_Can I… love?_

---

"Naruto-kun, why did you run away?" Gentle, green eyes gazed at him.

She had taken him back to her own home for the night when he refused to go back. No matter how much she persuaded and cajoled with him, he simply wouldn't go back.

He had stopped crying. He felt drained. So tired. He didn't want to answer. But he answered anyway. His voice cracked, as if he had not spoken for years and years.

"I don't know."

"Poor, poor Naruto-kun…" Sakura smiled sadly at him. Her hand plopped onto his head and she began to pet him.

He recoiled from the contact. Too much like Sasuke. Too much.

"Sakura-chan." He looked up, his usually bright eyes dulled by the lack of enthusiasm.

She drew her hand back somewhat apologetically.

"Do you love Sasuke?"

"Um…" she faltered, a blush going onto her cheeks. Her gaze fell onto the ground. "Y-Yes…"

"I see."

And for a while, nothing but their nearly inaudible breathing followed.

"Then I'm happy…"

_If I cannot love Sasuke, and he cannot love me… Then Sakura will love him. And he will be happy. Because someone is there to love him. To love him forever…_

_Forever._


	9. So Scared

"Shikamaru, someone wants to see you."

"What? This early in the morning?" the motivation-lacking boy sighed and stood up. He stretched lazily before sauntering over to his door and opening it. Surprise dusted his face as he faced Sasuke. "What brings you here?"

"Naruto. Have you seen him?"

"Well, well… What a polite way of greeting someone. Good morning to you, too," Shikamaru laughed lightly. "No, I haven't seen him lately, why?"

Sasuke shook his head quickly. "Sorry for bothering you."

And he left, leaving Shikamaru staring at his retreating figure. Even he could not decipher what was wrong with Sasuke. Yes, even a genius could not decipher much from such little information, but he was able to conclude that Naruto probably ran away or something.

With that, he shrugged and went back into his room.

---

The morning went on and Sasuke was going everywhere, knocking on doors, asking around, looking here and there, calling out his name. But alas, Naruto was nowhere to be found! For hours he searched, peering into the places where he knew Naruto would like to hang out at, but even the ramen stand did not hold that regular occupant.

He hadn't slept last night, hoping that for whatever reason Naruto ran off for, he would return by night. But he didn't.

He wasn't at Chouji's house, Kiba's house, he couldn't be found at the Hyuuga palace, Ino's house, or Ichiraku's. There was only one place left, but he seriously dreaded going there.

Sakura's place.

Yet still, there was nothing else he could do. For all he knew, Naruto could be hiding at her place. So here he was, standing in front of the palace, waiting for Sakura to come out. He scowled darkly at the ground in front of him.

"Sasuke-kun?" her voice inquired sweetly.

He looked up and saw her smile and bright eyes.

"Why are you here so early? Should you not be at class?" she asked, trying not to grimace at his death glare. "Is there anything I could help you with?" But of course, that question was rhetoric. She knew who he was looking for.

"Have you seen Naruto around?"

Ah, there it was. "Yes…" her voice grew even softer. "He doesn't want to go back to the Uchiha palace…" Sakura furrowed her eyebrows lightly to indicate her concern for his well-being. She sighed heavily then reported, "He's sleeping right now."

"Please take me to him, Sakura."

Her hair bobbed a bit as she nodded and invited him into the palace.

He was curled up on the floor. So quietly. His face still stained with tears. Hints of dirt still stubbornly clung onto his hair. So, so quietly. If it weren't for his chest moving up and down, he would appear dead. So terribly quietly.

Sakura watched as Sasuke slowly walked over to the sleeping fox. He crouched down and gaze at the calm face. Though he was still frowning, Sakura saw that his eyes were not so hard any longer. She bowed politely and left them alone.

Kneeling on his knees, Sasuke leaned further down until his lips barely brushed onto Naruto's cheek.

"Naruto…"

But he did not finish that sentence.

Carefully, he slipped an arm underneath his knees and back. Sasuke stood up, Naruto still unconscious in his arms.

He debated with himself what to do after Naruto woke up. How would he react? Sasuke decided to go with the flow. He'll just keep walking until he sees the next stepping stone.

---

_Too familiar._

That was the very first thing that came to Naruto's mind when he woke up. Too familiar.

His eyes cracked open and he saw the pale streams of sunlight fluttering in from a very familiar door. This was no longer Sakura's room. Naruto didn't move from his spot, but only let his eyes wander around to confirm his location. It didn't take too long for him to realize where he was.

Someone else was in the room too. And that presence was pretty darn familiar as well.

"You're awake."

The fox jumped at the voice. He sat up slowly, shoving off the blankets and looking over at where the voice had originated from.

Sasuke was sitting at the table, his back turned to him.

There was no sound for many minutes. Then followed the sound of rubbing cloth as Naruto stood up. A small clink of Sasuke's cup echoed through the room as he set it down, still full of cold tea. Shuffling noises were emitted as Naruto slowly walked to the door.

" Moron."

The door was opened slowly.

" Moron."

Naruto began to walk out, not listening to the voice that called him.

A furious whirl of activity followed, so quickly that Naruto didn't know what happened to him until the door was jammed shut again and he was slammed onto the floor. His neck smarted and a dull ache began to spiral out from the back of his head. Sasuke had stood up quickly and yanked him down by his collar.

Slightly fazed, Naruto still tried to get back up. He got as far as propping himself up with his elbow before he was shoved back down again.

"Get off me!"

He flailed about until Sasuke took his wrists and pushed them above his head. Naruto turned his head so that he was no longer forced to look at Sasuke's angry face. Stubbornly, he stared at a spot in the wall until his vision got weird. Blue dots and other miscellaneous colors blotted into his view until he finally blinked.

Now only Sasuke's hard breathing filled the room. His breath came out in shaky puffs, like he could not breathe properly. The grip around Naruto's wrists did nothing but tighten over time, several times it was hard enough to make Naruto screw up his face in slight pain.

"Look at me," the Uchiha commanded.

Naruto spurned the command.

"Look at me," he repeated, more sternly this time.

His ears flattened against his head as he blinked again, his vision getting messed up. There was such intensity in those eyes…

"Damn it," Sasuke cursed, releasing one of the fox's wrist and grabbing his chin. A cry came from Naruto's mouth when his head was forcefully twisted until he was staring at Sasuke's eyes.

"Let go!" Naruto's eyebrows knitted together as he growled, trying to move his head away.

"No!"

Their heavy breathing made the air splinter uncertainly.

"You're mine, don't forget that. You _can't_ run away because I _own_ you. Don't _ever_ forget that! Don't think that just because everyone treats you equally that you can run this palace! You're still inferior to everyone! You're just a pet! I could throw you away for all I care! Don't you ever," Sasuke pulled up his chin and slammed it back down onto the floor roughly, "_ever_ try to run away again!"

Naruto was visibly shaken when Sasuke glared at him one last time and got off. The Uchiha returned to the table and sat down angrily. Naruto laid there for a long time, trying to catch his breath and calm down.

Tears began to form in his eyes, and not wanting to humiliate himself in front of Sasuke, he picked himself up clumsily and headed for the door.

At the exact same moment, Sasuke muttered something so quietly that even Naruto's keen ears did not pick up.

"… You could have gotten hurt…"

And Naruto had walked out just on that second. Crying.

---

They rarely talked after that. However, they couldn't avoid each other forever, and with small touches and a tentative word or two, they apologized and forgave. It wasn't completely clear who was the one apologizing or who was the one who forgave, but in the end, everything turned out fine.

It can be seen as one of their more drastic fights. It can be seen as harmful or helpful toward their relationship. What relationship? Whether the relationship they shared was a simple master/pet relationship or another one, they were not sure. The line was smudged so badly, nobody could tell which side was which.

And it was never really confirmed.

Never after that did Naruto ask Sasuke if he loved him. And Sasuke never answered. It was a taboo subject, and neither of them were willing to broach it ever again. And even if they did love each other, they weren't sure which love they shared. Brotherly love? Parental love? Or something other than those two?

But even with all these uncertainties, all was good.

Almost all was good.

"Sasuke…"

"Hm?"

"It's hot…"

"No, it's not."

"Sasuke!"

"What?"

"Sasuke, I feel itchy…"

"Then by all means, scratch the itch!"

And silence reigned for about two point seven seconds.

"Sasuke?"

"_What?_"

A resounding 'thud' resonated in their room. Wet noises of tongues and lips could be heard. And then followed a random interjection.

"Mmh!"

Finally came a sound 'smack' from their parting kiss.

"I feel better now."

"Che…" Sasuke sat back up and wiped his lower lip a bit, watching the fox as he curled up into a ball again.

It wasn't as if he wasn't used to the random make-out sessions, but each and every time, Naruto chose the most random times to tackle him down. Thankfully, Naruto restrained himself enough not to attack him in public. Still, from the number of attacks today, Sasuke knew that Naruto would soon enter 'that stage'.

Over the course of several days, Sasuke had been 'training' Naruto for future things. One day, when he had walked into the room, he had found a small basket full of towels next to the futon. He didn't doubt what they were for. The only thing he said was, "Damn those sickos."

'Sickos' being the servants. But you really couldn't blame them. Seriously, you couldn't. Rather, who Sasuke had to blame was himself. After all, no one could really walk past their room late at night, hear some rather strange things being emitted from that particular room, and not think of some bizarre things as well.

Especially when the things you could eavesdrop on were generally breathless complaints which included:

"Iii—! Sasuke, that hurts, take them out!"

"Shut up, moron… It'll be over soon."

"Nnnrgh! Ah! Ssauke!"

And then some. So really, you couldn't blame the servants for giving them the required materials they would later need. Yet still, Sasuke would curse "those sickos." But even after cursing them, he used the towels anyway. And as for Itachi's 'gift'… Well… It wasn't exactly unused either.

It was a week from the end of the month…

---

Night-time was sometimes said to be scary. Romantic. Mysterious. Hiding. Careful. Silent. Loud. Busy. Still.

Night-time was sometimes said to be calm and quiet. Or sometimes loud and boisterous.

Sometimes it was, sometimes it wasn't.

But no matter what it was said to be, night-time was time for sleep. Except for nocturnal animals, but that was another story. For humans and diurnal animals, it was time for sleep.

Unless, of course, you were Naruto. At this moment in time.

Sasuke had long ago fallen asleep. And someone was watching him sleep. Deep blue, wandering eyes. Simply watching Sasuke as his unusually serene face slept. His mouth was slightly parted as he breathed, his chest moving up and down.

Suddenly, Naruto felt hot again He had been feeling weird these past couple of days. It would get so hot for him that he started to get itchy. Usually, attacking Sasuke helped a bit, but it was getting harder and harder to get that weird feeling away. Just a churning, whirling sensation in the pit of his stomach. It wasn't unpleasant, but it was terribly distracting.

Sasuke, as mentioned before, was asleep. He _was_ asleep until he was very rudely awoken by none other than Naruto. He wasn't woken up by the usual method though, which consisted of many violent shakings which shocked him awake, thinking that the world was ambushing him. The boy had to admit, _this_ method of being woken up was rather nice. The Uchiha gently pushed Naruto away from him in order to talk. After all, it is difficult to speak when your mouth is occupied by more than one tongue, is it not?

"What's wrong, Naruto?" he asked sleepily, noting that Naruto looked rather disheveled. His robes were barely hanging onto his shoulders, and his eyes did not look as clear as they usually were. Something clouded them over, giving him a feral look.

The fox did not answer, but only ground his hips down. Sasuke felt something hard rub against him. That resulted in a moan from Sasuke. The boy's arms snaked up around Naruto's neck and he pulled him down, muttering softly into his neck.

"Naruto… Want to learn something new tonight?"

He moved quickly, so Naruto suddenly found himself being straddled by his owner. Sasuke smirked at the lust-filled fox.

If, by chance, had you been taking a midnight stroll that night, and if by chance you happened to walk past Sasuke's room, you might have heard some strange noises from that room. At that point, any sensible person would quickly turn around and walk away, but if you are _not_ a sensible, or perhaps just very curious (or perverted for that matter), you might be able to pick up shards and pieces of a strangled conversation.

"Naruto… Open your legs like I taught you…"

"Neeeh, Sasuke, what are you doing—?"

"Sorry…"

"Aahh! Stop, stop! It hurts! Stop it! Take it out!"

"Nnmm… Can't stop, Naruto…"

"Sasuke!"

"Haah… Don't worry, moron… You'll probably be healed up by tomorrow, right?"

"Uhh, it hurts! Sasuke…"

But soon, those complaints quickly evolved into something else. Of course, by this time, one should have already respected their privacy and have left.

---

Water gently rippled against the side of the bath. It was a cool morning today, with just a hint of a breeze. The sky was still sleepy with pink and red, not quite ready to let a pale blue take over. Shadows, stretched by the sun's early rays grasped at the floor, not yet wanting to let go.

"Hmmm… Naruto, you were so loud last night…" Sasuke was lying on the rocks by the side of the bath. His bad habit of not wanting to get out of the bath still remained after three years. Usually, Naruto had to drag him out before he drowned in there.

A guttural sound rasped out of the fox's throat, his face completely red. He submerged himself into the water until only his nose and eyes were showing.

Sasuke laughed lightly when he heard no response.

The sound of sloshing water didn't make him turn around. Not even the shadow which slowly drew nearer made him turn around. It wasn't until he felt Naruto hard body press down against his back when he tried to look behind him.

"Naru—"

His head was forced back to face the front when Naruto rubbed his own body against Sasuke's harder.

"Let's see how loud you can get then…?" His hands wandered to Sasuke's chest, where he began to rub at certain spots.

Sasuke suppressed a moan. "Che, moron. Like you even know what you're doing…"

"Want to bet?" Naruto began sucking on his neck.

"Nn…"

Sasuke's body stiffened when he felt something hard prod him.

"Don't be too loud now…" Naruto growled at him, a feral grin splitting his face.

Later that day, Sasuke was found to be limping around the palace. When oblivious servants inquired about his well being, they only received a vague answer along the lines of "getting a bruised ankle yesterday on a hike". The other servants only snickered and walked away before Sasuke could kill them.

---

For about the next week or so, wherever Sasuke and Naruto were found, everyone else evacuated. Just precautions, but you never knew. Soon, Naruto's heat wore off, and all returned to normal.

So the sun would rise and set; the moon would rise and set. Just a pre-scheduled routine that everyone followed.

But as the week passed by, it was suddenly the end of the month already.

Itachi did not summon Sasuke, but every day, the boy would fidget and wait around in his room. Naruto had asked about his nervousness, but he never answered, just sort of looked at him and looked away quickly, as if the fox's gaze would burn him.

Hidden in the dark shadows of the room, concealed a boy. No, a man, a young man. And within those dark strands of nothingness, black eyes did peer. And watched another being. His arm was hung loosely over his bent knee as he observed his victim. There. There, just a small movement in his eyes.

A whisper of silk upon silk. He moved. His mouth parted, and uttered a word. A name.

"Naruto."

And there. There, a movement again. His hand jerked a bit, beckoning him over.

"Come."

And come he did. From his seat near the table, he crawled over on all fours, his tail swishing from behind. His ears flicked just a tiny bit as he sat down on his owner's lap, his hands quickly clutching onto his shoulders.

Sasuke rested his head against the wall as he peered into Naruto's calm face. His hand came up to brush away some strands of blond hair from his face. As a reflex to Sasuke's touch, Naruto leaned forward.

A small smirk came across Sasuke's slightly upturned face. He humored Naruto and kissed him. He ran his tongue lightly over the fox's sharp canines and gums, making him moan. When Naruto began to lean even closer and rubbed his groin against his own, Sasuke pushed him away.

"Not now…" he muttered, rubbing Naruto's back to calm him down.

A whimper of disappointment escaped his throat as he rested his forehead against his owner's shoulder.

They stayed in that position for a while until Sasuke shifted. Naruto automatically got off.

"Let's take a stroll around here. It's been a while since we did that."

The soft padding sound from their feet on the floor was the only thing that could be heard. Although it was late evening, there appeared to be no one out in the halls. Sasuke noted this, but said nothing.

Suddenly, from ahead, a door slid open and a figure stepped out. He adjusted his sleeves before looking up and spotting the two of them.

"Ahh… Sasuke-kun and Naruto-kun?"

"Itachi-sama."

"Nii-san."

Itachi inclined his head and smiled lightly. "Good, good. I was just about to look for you." He began to walk, not verbally indicating his command to make them follow.

The moment Sasuke took a step, Naruto picked up his old habit of clinging onto his sleeve. He never clutched his sleeve since three years ago. Sasuke glanced at Naruto. He shook his head a bit and continued to trail his brother.

"Sasuke-kun… Have you thought of an adequate answer to my question a month ago yet?" the man asked halfway to his room.

Silence followed, and Itachi said nothing about it.

The rest of the trip was done in dead quietness.

When they reached the room, Itachi closed the door behind them and faced them, his eyes half-lidded.

"What will your answer be, little brother?"

Sasuke held his steely gaze and said clearly, "No one."

Itachi glanced at Naruto, who was standing slightly hidden behind Sasuke.

"No one? Are you sure?"

The younger Uchiha nodded firmly.

"I see."

Itachi turned away momentarily and stood there, facing a wall. Only their soft breathing filled the room. If silence could crystallize, it surely would have.

All of a sudden, a flurry of movements caught both Sauske and Naruto off guard. A loud 'slap' resonated throughout the room. Sasuke felt a great impact on his cheek and was flung against the wall causing a vase to break. Seconds later, Naruto found himself being pulled up by his hair, until his feet barely scraped the ground.

Sasuke's eyes dilated when he realized that Itachi had slapped him and thrown him against the wall.

Itachi laughed.

"Is this why you refuse to marry a girl, Sasuke?" he asked viciously. Naruto screamed when Itachi pulled him up even higher.

"Naruto!" Sasuke began to stand up but stopped when Itachi yanked him up. Sharp slivers of the vase had cut his face and blood was trickling down his cheek.

"This is why, isn't it, little brother?" his voice dropped until it was eerily calm. "Because of this piece of trash? Do you know what he is, Sasuke?" Itachi narrowed his eyes until the filtered light from the paper doors gleaned in them.

Tears came down Naruto's face as, bit by bit, his hair was pulled out. Droplets of blood began to form on his scalp. His mouth was parted pitifully, saliva dripping from it. Tears, sweat, and spit all mixed together in a hopeless mess.

"This is your fuck toy, that's all he is!" he snarled, shaking Naruto around limply. "He could be executed right now if I wanted to! He's nothing!"

The fox's eyes widened in pain and he screamed. More blood dripped onto his neck and shoulders.

Sasuke flinched visibly at his fierce language. He could only sit there, not daring to get any nearer to Itachi.

Naruto whimpered and cried, trying to get loose from Itachi's relentless grip.

"Sa-Sasu… ke," he choked out, his feet dangling from him.

Itachi laughed again. "Stupid brother of mine… You're so foolish. Who do you really think you are? It isn't as if I really gave you a choice to begin with…" He threw Naruto's body at Sasuke.

"You'll be marrying Haruno Sakura in a month whether you like it or not." A sneer stretched his face as he turned away. "Get out of here."

The boy hugged Naruto fiercely as the crying fox clutched onto him, not letting go. He was shaking so much. Sasuke stood up cumbersomely and dragged Naruto out of the room. He stumbled down the empty hallways, listening to Naruto's ragged sobs. His cheek still stung terribly, but compared to Naruto, it was nothing.

When they reached their room again, Sasuke collapsed on top of Naruto. The fox curled up into a fetal position and continued to cry. Sasuke's arms and legs were placed accordingly. He panted heavily, sweat and blood dripping onto Naruto's own wet face.

He lifted a shaky hand and wiped away all the wetness.

"I'm sorry, Naruto…" he whispered hoarsely. "If… If it wasn't me… You wouldn't have to go through this torture…"

Naruto did not seem to hear, only cry harder and harder until the only thing that came from him were silent sobs. His tears ran from his eyes, clenched tightly together. He didn't care if his face was a mess. He ignored the pain from his scalp, where a good portion of his hair was missing. He didn't care, didn't care.

So scared… So scared.

Sasuke hugged the shaking body.

So scared…


	10. To Be Needed

That month was very hectic and stressing. There were wedding arrangements to take care of, invitations to send, and the bride-to-be had to be informed. Itachi had the liberty of having sent _Naruto_ to inform Sakura of the "wondrous" news.

It was only two days after the incident when Naruto and a huge group of servants marched over to the Haruno palace.

As the servants trailed in the palace with their arms full of presents and offerings, Naruto sought for Sakura. There would be other servants to inform her parents, but Itachi had specifically ordered Naruto to tell Sakura.

"Ne, Sakura-chan!" he burst into her room with unexpected enthusiasm.

"Ah! Naruto! What are you doing here?" her shock quickly became joy when she saw that he was there, visiting her.

"Good news, Sakura-chan!" he pounced over to her and sat down on his haunches, grinning at her.

_His smile isn't right._ She smiled gently back and placed her hand on his head. "What's the good news then?"

Naruto's face overtook a serious expression. "Uchiha Sasuke officially wishes for you to be his wife, Haruno Sakura."

"Eeh—!" her eyes widened. "N-Naruto! You aren't joking, are you?" Sakura grabbed his shoulders and looked at him, shocked.

"Nope." The fox took out a scroll and handed it to her. "I apologize for the rush though, Sakura-chan."

The pink-haired girl quickly read the scroll. Slowly, her smile turned into a grin. She hugged the fox happily when she was done. "Oh, Naruto! Naruto! It's really true! I'm going to marry Sasuke-kun!"

"Yes…"

"Hm?" she pulled away when she heard the flatness in his voice.

"Sakura-chan?" his head was lowered so that his bangs covered up his eyes.

"Yes, Naruto?"

"Please…" he looked up with pleading blue eyes. "Please, take care of him…" his tears spilled over and he stood up, running out of the room.

"Naruto…"

She had no idea why he had acted the way he did. Was he not happy for her?

Sakura sat there for a while, thinking. Why was it that Naruto looked so miserable at the end? He was _clearly_ happy for them at the beginning. Or, Sakura now thought, was it simply acting?

---

Everyone in the Uchiha palace was in a hurry. A hurry to put everything up. A hurry to get Sasuke's clothes done. A hurry to here, a hurry to there.

Sasuke and Naruto were caught in a standstill.

Their world did not move for them.

Each time Sasuke tried to touch Naruto, he would shy away, or sometimes even slap away his hand. Several times, he ran away from the palace, only to come back to Sasuke completely disoriented.

It was a nice cool autumn evening, still. Very nice and cool. The sky was so nice, so nice. Orange and pink, just like when a day was beginning. But it wasn't beginning right now. It was ending. The end of a day. Does that matter? After all, the sky still looks just as beautiful. A beginning and an end. Does it really matter at all?

Naruto crashed into a wall as he stumbled down the hallway. On the left of him was a garden. He was so tired and unaware of his situation that he didn't even notice Iruka and Kakashi standing in the middle of the garden until he nearly ran into them.

Apparently, they were so into their conversation that they didn't notice him either.

"…Yes, I'm sorry… so late… but… arrangements…"

Naruto heard Iruka say.

"…it's okay… not your fault… no one… should know of this…"

Kakashi spoke up and shook his head.

Naruto's vision blurred as he took another step forward, into the garden. He remembered seeing Kakashi take something from Iruka before he collapsed.

"Naruto! Naruto… Naruto…"

---

"Naruto?"

He woke up. His vision was still blurred. When it focused again, he realized that he was inside Sasuke's room again. Above him, Sasuke was gazing at him.

"Sasuke…"

"What's wrong?" he placed his hand over his forehead, brushing away the blond hair from his face.

"Sasuke…"

He moved his hand and leaned closer, until their foreheads touched.

"Sasuke, make me feel like I'm your's again…" Naruto lifted his head until their lips touched lightly.

"Fool… You were never _mine…_"

Naruto didn't understand why he said that. He didn't understand what it meant. But he began to cry. Somehow, that saying wasn't insincere. It meant something. Something, something.

It was out of his grasp of comprehension.

_Never his…_

What did it mean though…?

---

They met more frequently now. Sakura's parents and Itachi. They would always have meetings about the wedding. Sakura would always be there. And so would Sasuke.

Oh, how beautiful she looked! In her kimono like that… Her hair put up so prettily. That light blush against her cheeks. And those clear, green eyes. How they would glance up nervously in order to take a peek at her soon-to-be husband.

But Sasuke would not notice her. He would only sit there dully, staring at his tea.

And Naruto would never be found in there.

His ears were so low, and his eyes were dull. Even his hair did not shine as it usually did. Oh, wandering again, out in the streets. It was night-time, what are you still doing out?

He collided with someone.

"I'm sorry…"

"I'm so sorry—Naruto-kun?"

The fox looked up and saw a familiar person.

"Hinata?"

Back at the Hyuuga palace, or more specifically, Hinata's room, both of them sat at the table.

"Naruto-kun… What's the matter?"

"I…" he clutched his cup of tea harder, not paying attention to the sharp pain that was lancing up his hands. "I should be happy…"

Hinata tilted her head and gazed at him curiously.

"Sasuke's going to marry Sakura…"

"Ah, yes. The main branch was invited to attend it. I believe Neji-nii-sama was invited as well. Isn't it nice that…" she stopped when she realized that Naruto was not truly paying attention to her.

"Hinata?"

"Y-yes, Naruto-kun?" she stammered as he gazed at her with intense, somber eyes. A blush quickly spread across her face.

"Should I be happy?"

She faltered when she saw his expression.

"… as a friend, you should be, Naruto-kun…" she finally replied after a while. She placed her hands neatly in her lap, trying not to stammer as he gazed at her.

"… don't know…" he muttered incoherently.

"I'm sorry?" Hinata leaned in closer, trying to hear what he just said.

"I don't know if I'm his friend…"

Silence filled the dark room.

"Naruto-kun…"

"He'll be so happy though, Hinata… With Sakura-chan… Right?"

Hinata lowered her gaze.

"Right? Hinata… Answer me…" his voice cracked.

He began to cry again.

And Hinata listened.

_How many times did he cry for him?_

Just a wonder… How many times did Naruto cry for Sasuke?

_Are they something _more_ than friends?_

---

"With this unexpected news, we are certain that they are going to be on the move soon, right?"

"Ah."

Once again, in that dark room with nothing but candles to illuminate it…

"Iruka gave us some very important information on this matter…" Kakashi rolled up the scroll again.

"Then what does it mean?" Tsunade looked at him from her seat at the table.

"We're not sure…" the masked man replied. "Usually, that would mean having to look out for them more, but that isn't possible. They might get suspicious of us if they spot us."

Everyone contemplated this for a moment.

"Then let us hope that nothing too bad happens to all of them…" Tsunade sighed.

"Yes…"

Shizune shook her head sadly. "Both groups at the same time… It's hard to believe if it is only a coincidence…"

---

As the days passed by, everyone could simply watch and shake their heads as Sasuke and Naruto's health deteriorated slowly. Both refused to eat much and their attention was very short. Neither of them seemed very aware of their surroundings and was frequently found wandering around the place disoriented. Everybody was worried about them, except for a choice few.

On the day of Sasuke's wedding, Naruto would have to move out of the room. He was given another room on the far side of the palace. It was a storage room that nobody ever used. But there was nothing to say or to do about it. It was simply done.

It was then when Naruto almost seemed to begin disappearing. Just a withering shadow somewhere on the floor. Just like a dance of leaves on an autumn day. Many times he would refuse to eat and if you peered into his 'room' late at night, he would not be asleep. Just staring at the wall in front of him, his eyes wide and unblinking.

Sasuke often visited him on these occasions, and Naruto would be a slightly better mood, but no better. Itachi did not like the idea of Sasuke hanging around Naruto for too long, so the visits were never longer than two hours.

The younger Uchiha was faring no better. He ate, yes, but he still appeared to get thinner and less alive. His already pale skin turned into a stiff, cold white and his eyes were so terribly dull.

Yet life did not wait for them to wake up and stay alive. No, life never waits. Life just goes on.

Goes on forever and ever…

---

"Come on you two, look alive! We're just taking a stroll into the forest, that's all… After all, Sakura, you would love to learn more about your fiancé, right? And Naruto, you just need some fresh air…" Kakashi seemed undaunted by the obviously suffocating and heavy aura that whispered around them.

Sakura, although aware of the boys' discomfort, said nothing but only blushed frequently and stole looks at Sasuke.

Naruto appeared to want to be as far away from Sasuke as possible. He was nearly running into trees just trying to avoid the boy.

Sasuke was walking forward like a blind man. He didn't blink his eyes or look around at all. Even the sunlight did not make his eyes shine.

Kakashi had invited the three of them for a walk in order to "loosen up and learn more about each other" and so they were dragged out. Sakura just coincidentally seemed to be at the right place at the right them when Kakashi invited the boys out.

The pink haired girl made several attempts at starting a conversation with Sasuke, but was always abruptly cut off with harsh or rude remarks. Still, she was very persistent and would not give up. She didn't appear to notice his irritation.

Finally she sighed and stopped annoying the Uchiha. Her eyes widened quickly as she realized something.

"Oh no! I something at your room, Sasuke-kun! I'm going to be going hope after we're done with this walk. I can't leave it in the Uchiha palace…" she mumbled a bit more before she decided, "I'm going to go back right now and pick it up! It shouldn't take me too long! I'll come back once I'm done!"

"Hn…"

"Okay, Sakura-chan! Hurry up so we don't have to leave you behind!" Kakashi replied in an overly enthusiastic voice.

And with that, the girl waved briefly and ran back on the trail they were on.

Even without the girl with them, the birds did not stop singing and the clouds did not stop moving. The forest continued its daily schedule dutifully. The leaves still rustled pleasantly and an occasional small animal would pass them.

The three of them were unnaturally tense and was not enjoying the stroll at all though.

Suddenly Naruto snapped out of his daze. His ears perked up and his body tensed up. Blue eyes darted between the thick trees and a growl began to form in his throat.

Kakashi seemed to pick up something and he stopped walking. Instinctively, Sasuke and Naruto halted as well. The leaves shook in a particularly violent gust.

"Hmm. Seems like we are already discovered… Hm, Haku?"

A large, masked man leapt down from amidst the trees. Slung over his shoulder was a huge sword. Shortly followed a boy who was around Sasuke and Naruto's age. His long flowing hair and feminine face gave him the illusion of being a girl though.

The boy whose name the three of them could only assume was "Haku" appeared very impassive but his eyes held something that could be related to "regret." The man grinned at them from behind his mask.

"Uzumaki Naruto…" he said, lifting the huge sword off his shoulder and pointing at the fox who was standing behind Kakashi.

"What do you want?" the teacher asked, his visible eye glaring at the two attackers. His hand was already on his back pouch, where he kept his weapons.

"I was ordered to kill Uzumaki Naruto," the man said calmly.

"By whom?" Kakashi continued his interrogation.

"That I cannot say…" he laughed harshly. "Haku!" he commanded loudly, abruptly ending his 'conversation' with Kakashi. "Take care of the two of them. I'll distract him long enough for you…"

"Yes…" Haku said in a strangely serene way.

Sasuke immediately took to a stance when Kakashi and the other man darted away to some other part of the forest. Behind him, Naruto's fur prickled and he growled loudly.

"Naruto, get out of here," Sasuke kept his eyes on his still-calm opponent and tried to get his pet out of the fray.

Even in such a situation, Naruto summoned a short laugh. "Idiot, didn't you hear them? They only want me. _You_ should go." His tail whipped around wildly as he spoke. Something in his eyes glinted as he peered over Sasuke's shoulder.

"Please, I don't want to get both of you hurt," Haku looked at them with his rueful face.

Both of them were shocked. Here they were, supposedly going to get killed or harmed in some way, and their opponent was saying that he didn't _really_ want to hurt them? What kind of joke is this?

The boy looked away from them and said, "I am only here because of Zabuza-san…"

Before they could respond, however, a thick mist surrounded them, growing so dense that water droplets formed and made the floor damp and wet. Now, with their clothing beginning to stick to them, they heard Haku's voice again.

"If you aren't going to attack, then I will."

Within such a mess, the two of them could barely see anything. Off in the distance, Naruto could hear Kakashi and Zabuza, Naruto guessed that was his name, fighting. He strained his keen eyes to look for the slightest blur of movement.

Suddenly, there was the sound of metal scraping off each other. Several needles were deflected from Sasuke's kunai.

_Damn it, I don't have time to be daydreaming…_ he thought and took out a kunai from his sleeve as well. Naruto was about to leap onto a tree to see if he could get a better view of their opponent, but he was stopped when ice began to form from the water around them.

"I'll finish this quickly so that you will not have to suffer for too long," Haku said from somewhere in the mist.

With a mix of astonishment, fear, and confusion, Naruto leapt back down to Sasuke, where he stood back-to-back with him. Ice crystals arranged themselves methodically into thick sheets of mirrors. They formed a dome-shaped barrier around them. The temperature around them dropped noticeably.

For a long while, the fox and his master stared at their reflections as they waited for the next attack. Sasuke was already planning their escape, carefully eyeing the gaps between each mirror. His train of thought halted when surprise overtook him. All of a sudden, Haku's figure appeared in each and every mirror.

With each passing second, Naruto gazed back into Haku's brown eyes. Each fiber of his being seemed to indicate that '_I don't want to do this_'. Then why, Naruto had wondered, was he here? Why was he willing to follow that Zabuza and do something that he didn't want to do?

"Naruto," Sasuke breathed into the air thinly. "Distract him and I'll run out of those gaps. If you attack the inside of these mirrors and I, the outside, this should collapse…"

The fox nodded.

Within the mirrors, Haku was readying his weapons, sharp needles.

"Ready."

Naruto's muscles tensed.

"Go!"

Sasuke immediately ran for a gap while Naruto threw several kunai at the mirrors, hoping that they would shatter, or at least get a scratch. In a split second, however, all the kunai fell to the ground, useless. Sasuke was so, so near to the exit now, but was stabbed with many needles, making him fall forward with a cry.

"Sasuke!" Naruto began to move over to him.

"Fool! Don't get closer…" the Uchiha winced as he moved. He coughed and wiped the blood from his mouth, gazing at the mirrors and their mocking occupant.

"Too slow…" Haku's lips formed a dead smile. "I can see your every move. Both of you… So slow…"

Naruto bared his canines and growled, "Shut up!"

"Naruto, try it again."

"But it didn't work the fir—"

"Just do it!" Sasuke picked himself up unsteadily, his temper rising.

Naruto nodded grimly and took out more weapons.

But alas, this time didn't work either. Soon, both of them began to resemble pin cushions of some sort.

They sat in the center of the dome, both panting and bleeding.

"Give up, please. I don't want to hurt you any further…"

"Shut up!" both of them spat.

---

Elsewhere in the forest, Kakashi and Zabuza were still fighting.

"Zabuza, huh? Have you gone to such a lowly level that you are hired for petty jobs like this now?" Kakashi ridiculed.

This man, he knew, was dangerous. His name was mentioned many times on wanted posters for criminals. Kakashi knew. But this Haku… He had no idea who he was.

"Underestimating me? Or Haku? All I'm doing is distracting you. Soon, your two students will be nothing but piles of flesh and blood." The man seemed to smile behind all the bandages on his face.

At that, Kakashi glanced cautiously over at Sasuke and Naruto's general direction.

"No time to look away!"

A huge sword swung down, missing Kakashi by mere centimeters.

"Right. Then should I finish this up quickly?" Under his mask, he grimaced, his hand reaching for the cloth which covered his left eye.

Zabuza leapt back on another tree, watching Kakashi carefully.

"How honored you should feel to be seeing this," the silver-haired man managed to joke lightheartedly.

He pulled the cloth back.

Zabuza's eyes dilated. "That…"

"Intriguing, isn't it?"

That same, same red. That same hue of red. And those same circles.

What was it?

---

Sasuke's breath was beginning to grow thinner and thinner. He was barely standing up on his own feet. Naruto stood behind him again, watching his owner cautiously.

"Sasuke, stop it, if I give up, you won't get harmed. Just stop!" Naruto was starting to grow frantic. Any more and Sasuke was going to die.

"Shut up, moron. I can see him now… Just barely, but I can see him…" Just to prove his point, he narrowed his eyes, though his gaze was unfocused.

"Liar, Sasuke! You can't see him… You can't." His fear quickly turned into rage, then helplessness.

Sasuke stumbled forward and closed his eyes. "Haku, was it?" he didn't wait for an answer. "I can see you… You're so slow," he repeated the jeer. His eyes snapped open.

Naruto stumbled back slightly. Why were his eyes red? Two circles with tails… Red?

Haku seemed surprised as well. "Sharingan?"

_Sharingan…_ the fox had no idea what that was.

"Sasuke…" his voice wavered. A new type of fear overcame him.

No longer was his owner the same kind, caring, and most often, cynical boy that Naruto knew. His face held something feral and dangerous. Bloodlust.

A smirk formed on Sasuke's torn and cut lips. "Come on."

---

"How is it that you have Sharingan?" Zabuza asked, still in awe.

"No time for questions right now…" Kakashi said lowly, "Again, I ask… Should I finish this quickly?"

The other man gripped his huge sword tightly and charged at him.

---

Blood, sweat, kunai, needles, scraps of clothing. Things that strewed the ground…

A glint on the floor, a small little glint, off from the sharp edge of a kunai. A drop of red, blood, no doubt, gracefully sliding down the sharp edge of a kunai. A 'pang' of metal, a thin, sharp needle, reflected off the sharp edge of a kunai. A flash of brown, a pair of fearful brown eyes, mirrored in the sharp edge of a kunai.

_How can he see my movements?_ Haku thought incredulously. Only moments before, Sasuke was near death. Now he was fighting with a renewed vigor. He glanced quickly at Naruto. He was sitting on the floor, his blue eyes wide with fear. _I see…_ Haku knew that he was just as puzzled and scared as he was.

He had to end this fast. If it continued any longer, his strength would run out on him. He opened his mouth and knitted his eyebrows together. "I'm sorry."

So many needles came from those mirrors. Too many. Even for Sasuke. Even in his state. Too many.

"Sasuke!"

This time, when Naruto rushed forward to Sasuke, he received no reprimand. Gingerly, he held his owner's injured body. "Sasuke, Sasuke… Bastard, I told you to stop…"

Blood, sweat, kunai, needles, scraps of clothing. Things that strewed the ground… And tears that joined those things that strewed the ground…

Sasuke looked back at his pet, somewhat regretful. "I'm sorry I couldn't protect you…" Oh, how dreadfully cold his body felt now. Just that last wisp of life, slipping away. His vision was beginning to blur.

"Bastard… Bastard…" Naruto began to say, already feeling dead inside. His former fear for Sasuke was replaced with mourning.

"I just wish… I could have finished the only goal I had in life…" his eyes gained a faraway look. "To kill Itachi… Naruto… Don't die."

Naruto screamed hoarsely into the air as Sasuke's eyes rolled back and he fell into unconsciousness. His sobs eventually grew ragged and uneven as he wailed.

Haku, watching all the while, suddenly lost his regret in killing, only looked on, slightly amused, at Naruto. "You have not seen someone important to you die?"

Such an inquiry. He might as well have been asking, "How's the weather?"

Why. _How_. How could he ask such a question with such normality? As if it didn't matter at all. Rage bubbled in him. Naruto's tear-filled eyes glared back at the mirrors. Gently, he set Sasuke's body back down. Pain laced through his wounds as he stood up.

"You killed him!" Blue eyes bled fiercely, and soon they became red. His pupils thinned and stretched until they were slits.

Haku was utterly surprised for the second time during their fight. He braced himself from the strange heat that Naruto suddenly emanated.

His canines grew even sharper and larger as something which resembled red flames licked at the ground around him. Naruto screamed even louder. The marks on his face grew more prominent and his nails formed into claws. His foxish appearance became even more so with his frightening transformation. Suddenly, the red 'flames' lashed out from his body, causing the ground to splinter and crack around him. The needles that were previously embedded in his body disintegrated and his wounds healed.

_What kind of monster is he?_ Haku thought frantically. Such power…

"You killed him!" he yelled again, lunging at the mirrors, his mouth open as if to bite and tear at him.

---

The two men's own fight was interrupted when a huge ripple of _power_ ripped through the forest. Such pressure was unimaginable! Kakashi quickly closed his eyes and focused on the power. When he opened his eyes again, he looked relieved.

_Not yet…_ he thought to himself. Though he had quickly recovered from the shock, Zabuza hadn't yet. Quickly, he ran toward his adversary, hoping to end the fight.

"Don't look away so quickly!"

---

"Augh…" Haku was forced to leave his ice mirrors from the intense power and rage that Naruto let out. The ice cracked and shattered onto the ground as he fell out, suddenly weakened by the surge of pressure. He coughed out blood as he bowed down to the ground.

Naruto was quickly advancing him, but Haku did not move.

_There's no way I can beat him… Zabuza-san… I'm sorry that I failed you…_

"You!" Naruto came at him on all fours. His claws tore through Haku's robes as he yanked him up, until they were facing each other. Gleaming red eyes bore into dull brown ones. Naruto pulled back his fist to punch him.

Haku stared back calmly at Naruto's enraged face.

Such an expression made Naruto's anger dwindle.

'_I want to die.'_

The canines retreated, the marks receded, the eyes turned blue, the claws became nails again. New wounds had formed on Naruto's skin. The 'flames' that surrounded him had burned into his skin, leaving marks and gaping holes in his body. Blood was beginning to ooze from them.

Now they were only staring at each other, weakly.

"Why don't you kill me?"

"Why are you resisting?"

"I killed him."

"Why aren't you _resisting_?"

"I'm useless now… Kill me."

"Resist, damn it!" Naruto threw the punch hard.

Such sudden lifelessness from Haku made him angry once more. Why the heck was he so limp and _dead_?

Haku fell onto the floor again. Slowly, he picked himself up. He gazed back at Naruto.

"I can't defeat you. I failed this. Zabuza-san won't need me anymore," he explained, somewhat miserably.

Naruto screamed at him again, "That's your only reason? What are you? His tool?"

"Yes."

The fox's rant stopped.

"I've always been Zabuza-san's tool. I don't mind being used this way… As long as I'm needed… The feeling of being needed, Naruto… You can't live without it… Without being needed, you are the same as being dead…" Haku's unnervingly calm voice reached his ears. "Kill me, Naruto… I am no longer needed."

Naruto hesitated.

"I killed him. You don't hate me?"

He averted his blue eyes.

"You've never killed someone… I apologize for dirtying your hands, Naruto…" Haku looked truly remorseful.

"I… if we had met elsewhere… We could have been very good friends…"

He looked up again and looked back at Sasuke's still form. His previous rage quickly returned as he rushed toward Haku.

---

Both men were exhausted, but it was a stalemate. The battle was not going anywhere.

_If I don't end this soon, one of them may be killed…_ Kakshi looked at Zabuza's hunched over figure.

_Damn it… This is ridiculous. He has copied every single move I've got… Is that the true form of Sharingan?_ Zabuza gasped for air as they took a short rest from their battle. He stood up shakily.

"I really hate having to do this, but this _must_ end," Kakashi said. He gripped his left wrist and closed his eyes, focusing all his energy.

_What the hell is he doing?_

A shrill, crackling sound filled the forest along with an eerie blue glow.

"Raikiri," Kakashi whispered, looking up at his opponent. What appeared to be blue lightening crackled around his left arm. Quickly, Kakashi rushed at Zabuza.

The attack took him by surprise, and all that Zabuza could do was to stand there, looking terrified.

---

He didn't want to kill. Haku, from the very beginning, did not want to do this. But in the end, he had killed Sasuke. But still, he did not want to kill him.

A raw scream ripped itself from Naruto's throat as he ran toward the lifeless boy.

When he nearly punched him in the face, Haku's face brightened. His eyes grew wide in fear as if he had sensed something. His lips parted and with frightening speed, he caught Naruto's punch.

"I'm sorry. I am still needed," he explained too shortly and disappeared, or rather, _appeared _to have disappeared.

Naruto's last bit of strength disappeared and he collapsed onto the floor.

Although his power was certainly strong, it seemed to come with dire consequences. Was he so not experienced at such new power that it has taken his life?

From the stillness in his body… It is possible.

---

This was the end, Kakashi had thought, still rushing toward his opponent. Just this one attack and it would be all over. Then he would be able to help Sasuke and Naruto. Just this one,s ingle attack.

Some blur from his peripheral vision came darting in and before Kakashi could stop himself, he found that his arm had gone through Haku's chest.

Blood was splattered everywhere.

It didn't take long for him to realize what happened. This boy had sacrificed his life for Zabuza. His corpse was mutilated now, a small smile on his face. He had been _satisfied_ to have sacrificed his life for Zabuza. The life of a tool. Finished.

And if Zabuza had been unharmed, his life would have certainly had been of good use… However, the attack was just far too strong to have been stopped by a single body.

Raikiri had gone through Haku's body and also affected Zabuza. His flesh had been cleanly disintegrated from his chest.

The gore, the gore. Such utter gore. Both were dead.

---

"Aww, man… They could have at least _waited _for me…" Sakura complained bitterly as she ran down the worn path through the forest. Her green eyes searched for the three of them.

She had accidentally left her medical kit in Sasuke's room while visiting him. She always carried it now, just in case. It was a small kit and rather portable. She feared the result if someone had found it. Tsunade had told her not to tell anyone, and she hadn't.

Suddenly, the pink-haired girl stopped. Such a sickening smell of blood. Her thoughts quickly went to Sasuke. She broke out into a run. As went on, the scent of blood and burned things became stronger. She noticed that many trees had charred barks and stripped branches, as if something powerful had burned and ripped them apart.

She balked when she met the sight of blood and gore. There was water all over the floor. Blood mixed with it. Weapons of all sorts were stabbed into the ground.

There were four people placed on the ground. Kakashi, with his left eye covered again, was kneeling over Sasuke and Naruto. The other two, she did not recognize.

_Sasuke is dead_.

A cry came from her throat and she ran forward, through the blood and grime, over to Kakashi and the rest of them.

"Sasuke!" she began to cry, her blurred gaze on his cold face. Those were her only thoughts. Sasuke, Sasuke, Sasuke.

Kakashi quickly looked up at her. "Sakura, take out your kit."

She stopped crying in her surprise. "How—" No, he couldn't have known.

"Don't ask right now! Get it out. Both of them aren't dead yet!"

"Y-Yes," she answered, banishing thoughts and emotions away. Her hands shook as she took out the kit. Several times she had to wipe away stubborn tears that kept falling from her eyes. She carefully healed Sasuke's wounds before hastily tending to Naruto's.

Kakashi said nothing about Sakura's attention to each and every little scratch on Sasuke but neglected to heal over large cuts on Naruto. He only glared at her slightly and pointed out several times to wounds on Naruto that obviously needed healing.

Even as she healed Naruto, her eyes were focused on Sasuke's form.

The silver-haired man watched grimly as Sakura healed them. He looked at Zabuza and Haku's dead forms. He had no doubt as to who hired them for this job.

_It's definitely going to be very soon,_ he decided but his thoughts were interrupted when Sasuke stirred.

The girl immediately stopped tending to Naruto and rushed over to the boy's side.

"Sasuke-kun!" she cried, attaching herself to his arm.

_It doesn't hurt. I'm still alive?_ Sasuke's disoriented thoughts surface. He looked at Sakura's happy face, then at Kakashi's grim expression. _Naruto._ His eyes widened as he noticed bodies next to him. The ones on his left were Zabuza and Haku. He pushed Sakura away hastily and looked to his left.

"Naruto… Naruto!"

Sakura fell back, completely confused. _Why did Sasuke push me away?_ She watched him as he leaned over Naruto's still body, completely frantic.

"Sasuke. Sasuke! Calm down, he's still alive!" Kakashi had to drag him off Naruto in order not to give him any more harm.

Sasuke stopped struggling after a while, his eye still wide and staring.

_I did this… I wasn't able to protect him… I'm so weak. So weak, I couldn't protect him…_ "Naruto…"

They sat in silence for a long while before moving again.

"We're going back… Sasuke, carry Naruto… I'll take care of these two. We need to take them back to the village for further investigations…" Kakashi said in a commanding voice.

All of them moved as if in a dream. Sasuke leaned down to Naruto's torn and cold body. Sakura had not done a good job on his injuries at all.

The pink-haired girl stood up numbly, watching as Sasuke prepared to pick Naruto up. His face was so close to Naruto's, they could have kissed. _Was Sasuke kissing Naruto?_ Sakura had the absurd thought. She almost laughed at the ridiculous thought.

_Of course not_, she tried to reassure herself, but deep down inside her, a strand of uncertainty blossomed.

She began to slowly follow Kakashi's retreating form. Sasuke was at the back, carrying Naruto carefully.

Sakura strained her ears as she heard Sasuke mutter something. She nearly turned around, thinking that he was talking to her.

"Naruto… I'm sorry…"


	11. Trapped in Hell and Memories

"… Naruto, you _must _eat," Iruka cajoled, but even his urging did not work. He sighed and set down the tray of food, offering it to Naruto's turned back. "I'll come back later, but please eat, Naruto…"

Iruka stood up slowly and left the room.

Healers had tended to Naruto's remaining wounds, but now he was back inside of his new room. Ever since that incident he had not left that room except to go to the bathroom. He scarcely ate anything no matter how many times it was offered, pressed against his mouth, and by some impatient servants, thrown at him.

Because of his selective breeding, and maybe something else, his wounds healed incredibly fast. But he still was not allowed to go anywhere yet because of his mental state. He was also incredibly weak and light, due to his reluctance to eat.

_Sasuke and Sakura's wedding is tomorrow. I wonder if they will be happy?_ Naruto thought absentmindedly. He closed his eyes and stopped staring at the wall in front of him.

---

_He had woken up in his room. He felt no pain. But there were some _things_ that was constricting his movements. He sat up stiffly and examined his limbs. Bandages._

What had happened?_ he immediately wondered, completely disorientated for a while._

_Then he remembered._

Shit,_ was the only coherent thought he had in his mind as he stumbled up from his futon and ran toward the door. When he flung his body outside, he collided with none other than Iruka._

"_Naruto! What are you doing out of your room! You should be resting!" the man protested, catching the fox and keeping him from falling._

"_Sa-Sasuke! Where is he?" Naruto interrogated the teacher viciously, his fear coming out as pure anger._

_Iruka flinched a bit at the harshness of the question. Naruto's nails were beginning to penetrate even the many layers of robes that he was wearing. "Calm down, he's fine. Everyone's fine."_

_Immediately, he slumped in his teacher's arms. "Good…"_

_Suddenly, he found himself beyond exhausted. Not a sleepy, pass-out sort of exhausted. Mentally exhausted. So many things to know and care about. He didn't even realize it when Iruka had taken him back to his futon and covered him up with the blanket again._

"_Iruka-sensei… Where is he right now?"_

_The man hesitated. "With Sakura-san."_

_Unbearable silence wrapped itself around Iruka's throat and constricted his body._

"_I see…" Naruto's eyes glazed over. "When is their wedding?"_

"_In two weeks, Naruto."_

"_I see." And with that, he turned away from his teacher._

_Iruka ignored the rude gesture and stayed in the room for a while longer. When he realized that Naruto was not asleep but not speaking, he left the fox alone with his thoughts._

_It was then when Naruto simply refused to eat and drink. The only time he ate was he was forced to swallow food with a tube shoved down his throat, as it was a command from Sasuke. And that was never pleasant. That was done every two days just to keep him alive._

_All day long he thought._

I couldn't protect Sasuke. I couldn't protect him. It was my fault that he was hurt. My fault… Sakura will treat him better, I'm sure… _he always thought. Never anything else. Everything was his fault now. And he fell into a semi-depression stage._

_He wanted so badly to apologize to his owner for his inadequacies, but he was forbidden to leave the room in such a state. And Sasuke was forbidden to visit Naruto since his wedding was only a short while off. So both of them were cut off from each other after that drastic fight._

_That was a week ago. Now it was—_

_---_

—one day before the wedding. And Naruto was certainly not invited.

Lately, he has been thinking a lot. That power he had during that fight. What was it? He didn't know. He wasn't familiar with it. It was strong, yet ever so painful. It felt feral and wild, untamed and terrifying. But he wanted more of that strength. He knew that, somehow, that abhorrent power could protect Sasuke.

But still…

Sometimes he would decide it was too much to think about and would stop. And sometimes there would be someone to distract him from such thoughts.

Hinata had come over on several occasions to visit him and tell him about the things happening outside. On those times, he would politely draw himself into a sitting position and lean back against the wall. Her words were often too soft or broken for him to hear, but just her presence was good enough. He didn't feel lonely when she was around.

And her smile. That ever gentle smile that would refuse to leave her face. Naruto often found himself gazing intensely at her placid face until she turned red and looked away. He liked the way her long hair fell past her shoulders and sprayed against her soft robes. He liked the way her mouth moved when she spoke. And when she shyly looked at him, it was rather cute, he discovered.

And when he felt that way, that warm fluttering feeling, another emotion would blast it into a void. It hurt him, he realized. That emotion made his heart clench terribly, like when it does when you suddenly remembered that you had an important test you had to take, but forgot to study for it. Or when you realize someone has caught you red-handed for stealing the last cookie. But it wasn't a pleasant feeling. It made his heart clench terribly hard.

And when he felt that way, his heart would clench and he would _feel_ the adrenaline flow through his body. It was then when he would avert his eyes and clench his hands together tighter. He didn't like that feeling. But it felt familiar somehow.

He always thought of that feeling. It took him a very long time to understand what that feeling was. He remembered it. He had asked Iruka.

He had asked Iruka what 'love' was. And he received a very vague answer. But he believed that what he was feeling was 'love'. It was familiar. This _specific_ type of love. He had felt it before. He couldn't figure it out.

But this type of love he felt toward Hinata right now… It didn't seem right.

"TenTen has been at the Hyuuga palace a lot more often now… I don't believe you've met her yet, Naruto-kun… She's really nice. Neji-nii-sama seems to enjoy her company as well…" Hinata said serenely, not quite looking at Naruto, but at the floor in front of her.

Naruto looked up from his empty task of staring at his hands. He admired the curvature of her soft lips before uttering, "Hinata, do you love someone?"

"I-I… Uhm… I…" she stammered, suddenly turning red again. Hinata quickly glanced away from him.

He looked at her with curious eyes. "Does it feel good? To be in love?"

She murmured some more incoherent things before she decided, "Yes…"

Naruto grinned widely at her. "I apologize for asking you such an intruding question, Hinata."

The girl shook her head gently. "It's fine, Naruto-kun. Are you tired now? I'll leave you so that you may rest then…" she said politely, sensing that he wanted some alone time.

During his two weeks out of commission, he had not smiled, much less grinned. For him to do so all of a sudden must have meant that he was in a state of utter mental chaos.

She stood up quietly and exited the small room.

---

Sakura could not get it out of her mind. That strange scene. Had she heard it wrong? Did she see it wrong? No, she kept saying to herself, it didn't happen. It was just her imagination catching up to her. After all, she had decided, she was so frantic, she might have seen and heard the wrong things.

Yes, she had concluded. The things she saw and heard that day were not true. Sasuke did not apologize to Naruto. And he certainly did not _kiss_ Naruto. After all, they were not even the same species. Such a thing is too gross to think of.

Yet still, she could not understand why Sasuke had become even more listless than he usually was. He barely even seemed to notice her being there or even her talking. He always breathed out an absent "Hn" at her, as if that would fill in their empty conversations. He had been getting steadily weaker as well. Day after day, their meetings became more frequent as their wedding drew closer, but _they_ did not draw any closer. If anything, they seemed to be getting farther and farther apart.

_Sasuke loves me_, the pink-haired girl would think. She reassured herself of his everyday just to be sure. _After all_, she debated with herself, _if he did not love me, why else would he propose to me like that? And so suddenly too. He must really love me to be in such a rush to marry me._ Her girlish mind worked in strange ways as she came up with the explanation to Sasuke's listlessness as "anxiety for the wedding."

But many doubts came to her mind. Like when she informed him that he could not visit Naruto, she swore she saw his face darken. And sometimes, when she would call out his name for the billionth time in her high and sweet voice, so sweet it seemed sticky to many, she noticed that he started to look irritated and snapped at her often. When she inquired him of his well being, he would sigh miserably and reply, "Fine."

Lately he hasn't been around to hang out with her either. He always said that he had "something to do with Kakashi" and left her alone with that. It was terrible, but she thought that he could have been hiding a secret surprise for her of sorts. How naïve she was!

And when she thought of Kakashi, she became perplexed at how the man could have known she knew how to heal. She had been extremely secretive about the training, and was sure she hadn't told anyone. There was no way that he could have known…

But tomorrow was their wedding. There was no time for complex thoughts and questions like those. She was happy. Very happy. No doubts.

_Sasuke and I will be able to live together forever now. And maybe we will have children. Oh, I wonder how handsome and pretty our children will be!_ she giggled to herself as she went to sleep that night, quite excited.

---

_Damn it_, Sasuke cursed to himself that day. _Damn it, damn it, damn it!_

"Oh, Sasuke-kun?" he remembered Sakura calling out to him. "Itachi-sama informed me to tell you that you cannot visit Naruto until after our wedding. He said that he didn't want you to be distracted by useless things…"

She began to ramble on about other things, but he only listened to the first part and began to curse. He had wanted to see how Naruto was doing too… His own wounds were completely healed over by healers, but he was still rather distressed.

The moment he was back in the palace, servants nearly tore Naruto's limp body from him and began to fuss over his small scratches. In the confusion, he didn't even realize Naruto was roughly taken to his own room.

That day, he had sat in his room, feeling empty and useless. He felt as if he couldn't protect _anyone_. Such a desolate feeling he had. All he wanted to do was to hold Naruto and hope that he would be forgiven. Waking up to see that Naruto was in such a ragged state… It was horrendous.

On the next day, he sought out Kakashi and demanded that he helped him become stronger so that in future days if anything like that ever happened again he would be prepared. What he was taught was something he could have never thought of.

"Sasuke," Kakashi had addressed him, "remember two days ago, when you suddenly could see things very clearly? As if everything had slowed down?"

Sasuke had been in shock. How could Kakashi had known about that? But all he did was nod uncertainly.

"Sasuke, what I'm about to tell you is absolutely forbidden, and if it was found out, I would be executed… But I believe that you will now tell on anyone and there is no one here right now."

At this point, Sasuke had grown somewhat paranoid.

"This is an absolute, top-secret thing that not many people know about."

_A secret? How many secrets were kept away from me?_ the Uchiha thought darkly. Three years ago, Iruka had lied to him. Does this mean that Kakashi was lying to him as well?

"The Uchiha clan," the silver-haired man began, "is unique in their own way. They possess a power that nobody else has. They have the power to _see_. That day, when you saw, you acquired something called _Sharingan_."

"Sharingan?" Sasuke asked.

"Yes. Those eyes allow you to see enemies' actions before they attack you. It also comes with another power… But first, let me show you what Sharingan looks like…"

Then, Kakashi had removed the cloth covering his left eye and showed it to Sasuke. When asked about _how_ he received it, Kakshi merely laughed and covered his eye again. He then went on to teach Sasuke about some mysterious power embedded in him, which he could mold and form at his will, with some practice.

Everything was very vaguely described, but Sasuke never inquired further. He never asked _how_ the power came to be, _why_ the power was there, or_where_ that power came from. He only accepted it as something that _was_ there. There was no true explanation, and he deemed it too trivial to know about at that time. He only wanted to earn that strength. Everything else could come later.

It took them two hard, long weeks, but eventually, Sasuke mastered summoning Sharingan on his will and learned something he called "Chidori" which was adapted from Kakashi's "Raikiri."

Kakashi had marveled that Sasuke was a true prodigy in having learned so many difficult tasks in the time period of only two weeks. Sasuke was not proud. He simply wanted to learn it in order to be able to protect, something he was not able to do before.

He had instructed for Iruka to check in on Naruto every now and again. He was also told to inform Sasuke of Naruto's well being. Each time Iruka came to him, it was never good news. It was either, "He hasn't been eating," or "He's refusing to talk now." But it was always, "His wounds are doing very well," and "His physical health is in perfect shape." Yet it was never, "His mental health is fine," or even, "He misses you."

And now it was the night before his dreadful wedding. And he was having a nightmare. Or dream. Or was it a memory?

"_Sasuke… Are you okay?" a familiar voice asked him._

_He could see that he as in a dimly lit room, illuminated only by short candles. His vision blurred and sharpened until he realized that Kakashi was speaking to him. A younger-looking Kakashi._

_Behind him stood Iruka and three other people he did not recognize and one whom he could not see too clearly. The room was so dark and small, he could barely see anything._

_A man with long, white, and spiky hair. He had distinctive red lines down his cheeks. His arms were crossed as he gazed at Sasuke with an intense glare. He was frowning deeply at him._

_A woman with brown hair and overly large breasts. She was leaning on a wall, looking at him with the same expression of either distaste or pity._

_Another woman with short, black hair. She stood close to the brown-haired woman. She appeared to be rather harried at the moment._

_Behind her, he could see a blur of bright yellow. What was it? Hair. Yes, it was hair. And orange. Just a tinge of orange. It was so blurry, he couldn't really tell _what _it was, but he could see some colors._

"_Sasuke? Sasuke?"_

_His vision blurred again._

He woke with a start.

_What was that?_

_---_

The wedding was so complex and formal.

Sasuke was seated next to Sakura and everyone was watching them, rather happily. With some effort, Sasuke managed to look serene, and not like he was about to wring out Sakura's life with his bare hands. He barely paid attention to anything, but concentrated on looking decent and not murderous, a hard task indeed.

Itachi had looked very smug indeed, but nobody seemed to notice. He concealed his smugness with a faint smile. He busied himself with everyone, running to and fro to check if everyone was content and happy. Everybody except his little brother.

Of course, Sakura was beaming and looking slightly flustered at all the excitement. She looked so beautiful that day, everyone agreed. Certainly, she looked very pretty for one who was marrying someone she loved so much.

All of the guests were pleased that the Uchiha clan would probably soon receive a new heir. For some strange reason, Itachi had never found an interest in finding a spouse, but focused on raising his little brother well. But, they had thought, it was normal, since his entire family was murdered. It was natural for an older brother to be sacrificial and try to raise his little brother to have the best life. They had all nodded agreeably and said that Itachi was a good older brother indeed.

The ceremony, everyone said, was beautiful. All the guests were very happy with the new couple. Many even began to light-heartedly bet on the gender of their first child. It was then when Sasuke began to pay attention and grow slightly sick.

He had never thought of having a child with anyone. Anyone at all, much less Sakura. In fact, now that people mentioned it, he felt slightly strange just thinking about touching a woman. Sasuke had never paid attention to this, thinking that it may have been Naruto's presence that made him uninterested in girls, but now he realized that even before Naruto, he never paid attention to the girls.

The reason may have been, Sasuke now thought, because all the girls who liked him were insane. Yes, insane stalkers of evilness. Was there ever one that was actually normal? No, he couldn't remember.

But by now, surely he _could_ have found a girl that was decent, right? Then why didn't he? Was it just Naruto that made him like that? Or was it something from before? He wondered now, but he didn't find an adequate answer.

---

Yesterday, he had been dying to see Sasuke and apologize. But today he felt as if he never wanted to see him again. He heard that the wedding was very nice. He heard that Neji _was_ in fact invited to attend it. And he did. He heard that everyone attended the wedding that day. And he heard that everyone was happy.

He heard that it was wonderful. It was very sweet, he heard. Yes… And he felt a bittersweet happy.

_Whatever I cannot provide for Sasuke, _Naruto thought that day, still staring at the wall,_ I'm sure that Sakura will be able to._

He rolled over and faced the closed door. Somewhere out there, he knew that Sasuke and Sakura would be together, thanking their guests for their gifts and well wishes. The fox felt his lips turn up into a faint smile. Then he felt something warm and wet go down his cheeks.

---

On that night, Sakura had shyly gotten on the futon, waiting for Sasuke. But he didn't go to sleep. Instead, he sat by the table, his hands laced together, placed in front of him. And when she beckoned to him, he only replied, "I'm not tired yet."

And she was disappointed. After all the small jokes of their first child, Sakura had gotten more and more embarrassed about how openly they were talking about it. But now she was disappointed. She waited for him, trying to stay awake, but he still did not sleep. Eventually, she fell asleep, but Sasuke continued to sit at the table, thinking.

That dream of his… It felt familiar. Why would Kakashi be inquiring about his health? Why was the question, "Are you okay?"? It was almost as if it were a faded memory of a sort. But he could not remember.

Eventually, he had to give up and go to sleep. Alas, he could not find the spare futon. It was not in the closet, where it was always, _always_ kept. And then he cursed.

He cursed, "Damn it, this sucks."

And he was forced to sleep in the same futon that Sakura was situated at. Sasuke was very careful to keep away from her. He slept on the far side of the futon, and hoped he would stay there. After all, when you sleep, you move.

But it may have been a restless night for him, because he had that dream again, but this time it was clearer for him.

"_Sasuke… Are you okay?" Kakashi knelt in front of him._

_He felt fear. He felt anger. He felt… useless._

_He could hear his own whimper as he opened his mouth to speak, but nothing came from his throat._

"_Kak'shi?" Sasuke heard a tentative voice ask. It was a childish and shy voice._

_The silver-haired man turned around, revealing a small boy around the age of seven. Something was different about him though. He had some blob of orange amongst his yellow hair. Something marred his young face, though Sasuke could not tell what it was._

"_What is it?" the man asked gently._

_The young Uchiha stared at the boy as he was pointed at._

_Iruka crouched down by the yellow-haired boy and murmured something to him._

_Suddenly, Sasuke's vision swirled and the colors became more vibrant._

_Blue. Effervescent, bright blue. Blue, so deep and inquiring it nearly hurt him._

_The boy's mouth moved, but he heard nothing come from it._

When Sasuke came to, halfway between asleep and awake, his senses were overcome with a floral scent. He was used to waking up to Naruto's slightly musky smell, but this was completely different, invading almost.

His eyes snapped open and he found himself face-to-face with his wife. His pupils dilated and he back away slowly, carefully trying not to wake her. Looking down, he realized that it was not _him_ that moved, but _her._ Sasuke crawled out from under the sheets and stood up. He sighed and went to the bath. The paranoid boy made sure to lock the door and began to remove his clothing.

Nostalgia overcame him momentarily as he stared at the bath, where he and Naruto had always used. He chuckled lowly, berating himself for missing Naruto even though he wasn't gone. At that prospect, he brightened. Technically, the wedding was over. That meant that he could visit Naruto again.

Quickly, he bathed and dressed in fresh clothing. He exited his room quietly, seeing that Sakura was still asleep.

"_He didn't eat yesterday, Sasuke. I doubt he will eat today either,_" Iruka informed him, before his wedding.

His robes made a graceful, large arc as he turned the corner abruptly. Sasuke was beginning to fear for Naruto's health. If he was always force-fed this way, his health will get no better. A frown fixed itself on his face.

"Naru—Eat, damn it! If it wasn't for Sasuke-sama's special orders, I would have left you to starve already, fox!" Sasuke heard when he neared Naruto's room.

There were sounds of a small scuffle, then some gagging sounds. Whimpers and the sound of chopsticks scraping against bowls could be heard. Violent coughing followed.

Sasuke quickened his steps and burst into the room, where he was met with the sight of Naruto being held down by one servant while the other forced food down his throat. His eyes blazed dangerously.

Both servants stopped and widened their eyes. "Sasuke-sama!" they exclaimed, quickly bowing to them.

"Take the tube out of his throat," he demanded, walking briskly over to Naruto, who was now crying silently.

They quickly removed the tube and left quietly, hoping that they had not angered Sasuke. Both of them closed the door behind them and took off.

After they left, Sasuke kneeled down next to Naruto, who had quickly lay back down and turned away, so that he was facing the wall again. For a long time, Sasuke just sat there, listening to Naruto's breathing.

Naruto had his eyes clenched tightly together. He wanted Sasuke to disappear. Something deep inside him told him, "_He shouldn't be here._"

"Naruto… You haven't been eating," Sasuke stated simply. He received no response.

_Leave, leave…_ Naruto silently begged, clutching the blankets until his fingers began to throb. Faintly, he heard the bowl of rice being picked up and chopsticks clinking against the sides of the bowl. The rustle of cloth informed the fox that Sasuke was moving. From his closed eyes, he did not notice the shadow looming over him, but his sharp ears told him that something was hovering above him.

He opened his eyes quickly and turned so that he was on his back. He gasped when he saw that Sasuke was right on top of him. _He shouldn't be this close._

The thought never came out because suddenly his mouth was covered and he felt the familiar warmth named "Sasuke" envelop him. He was suddenly aware of food being shoved into his mouth and instinctively, he swallowed. Even after the food was given to him, however, Sasuke did not draw back. His tongue explored Naruto's mouth, like he used to only a month ago.

_He shouldn't be doing this._ Naruto tried to push him off, but failed. He was so weak that he didn't even have the strength to struggle.

Finally, when Sasuke released him from their kiss, Naruto turned away and said, "Stop…"

The Uchiha looked taken aback. "Why?"

Naruto's mouth clamped together tightly and he turned to his side again, pulling the blankets close to his chin.

"Why?" he heard the question being pressed onto his cheek as Sasuke kissed him lightly. Naruto shivered from the longed-for contact. He missed Sasuke's scent so badly.

The fox inhaled, noticing that his own scent no longer mingled with his owner's, but instead, another scent joined it. He felt pain in his chest as he realized whose scent it was.

"You carry Sakura-chan's scent now…" Naruto muttered into his blankets, his eyes half-lidded. It was a mere statement and answer to Sasuke's question.

Sasuke paused, his lips twitching ever so slightly on his cheek. Naruto's eyes shot open when he felt Sasuke licking his cheek.

"Stop!" he squeaked, wrenching the blankets well over his head. "Stop, stop, stop…" he chanted, his body shaking violently. "You can't, Sasuke… You have Sakura-chan…"

The Uchiha's face clouded over momentarily before he lowered his body and hugged the shivering mass beneath him. "I don't care…"

"She loves you," Naruto squirmed, completely under Sasuke's will.

"I don't love her," came the rebuttal.

"You _need _her," the fox objected, starting to grow hot under the heavy sheets and Sasuke's body.

"You need me."

"I don't," he muttered without conviction. His grasp on the blankets loosened.

"You do." Sasuke drew back the blankets and stared at his face. He shifted a bit until his hand snaked under the blankets and he began to tug at Naruto's obi. The robes loosened.

The fox began to resist again, "Sasuke, stop it!" His heart clenched again as his thoughts mixed. _He shouldn't be here, he shouldn't be close to me, he shouldn't kiss me, touch me, need me, want me…_ He didn't know _why_ he was thinking this, but he _knew_ this was wrong.

Sasuke did stop. He looked down at Naruto, who was breathing hard right now, his face flushed but fixed with determination. His eyes closed. "Why?"

"I don't know." His voice fell until it was a mere rasp of a voice. He closed his eyes as well. His heart was beating fast now, and he could smell Sasuke again. He could smell Sakura, but it was very faint. He could smell his sweat, his saliva, the soap he used this morning… And he smelled something else. _Arousal_. His body betrayed him as he, too, began to feel excited.

"All they want from me," Sasuke began, his voice deep and low, "is a family. They want an heir. I don't care…"

"They'll hate you," Naruto cursed himself when his voice cracked.

A soft breath, similar to a sneer, came from Sasuke. "They already do."

"They don't." Naruto turned his head away until he was talking into his pillow. "You _can't_ be with me."

"Why not?"

"We—" the fox almost laughed as he started to explain, "We're not even the same species, Sasuke. We're both male. This isn't right…"

The next thing that Sasuke said made Naruto hesitate. "Since when did that ever matter?"

This time, when Sasuke began to suck and lick his neck, Naruto didn't struggle. He turned his body until they were face to face. Unconsciously, he spread his legs when Sasuke pulled off the blankets.

---

Sakura had been puzzled when she woke up to an empty room. The spot next to her wasn't even warm anymore. She sighed and sat up, smoothing her hair down. After a short bath to freshen up, she ate breakfast, graciously provided by the servants, and decided to visit Naruto.

She wanted to know how he was doing. The girl had overheard many of the servants who were familiar with him talk to each other, fussing over his health. He hadn't been eating or sleeping well, she heard, but she never had the reason to go and visit him. After that day, she felt awkward even at the mention of his name.

But she knew she couldn't avoid him forever. That was very much near impossible.

It was never like she _hated_ him or anything, but she had always been slightly jealous of his friendship with Sasuke. Wherever Sasuke went, he would always be following. Although they fought constantly over the pettiest things, it seemed like friendly banter. She ardently wished for something like that with the one she loved most.

He had his good points as well, his humor and cheerfulness. Not once did he ever seem overly sad about something. And even if he was, he would always take care not to drag anyone else with him. He would always smile and laugh, trying to fake off whatever was bothering him. Naruto was a valuable friend to Sakura, and she felt guilty now that she had treated him so badly.

However, now she could apologize to him for her rudeness and not visiting him until now.

When she neared Naruto's room, she heard some strange things being emitted from that room.

There was the rhythmic sound of cloth rustling and some sort of heavy breathing. Occasionally a muffled groan or moan and a variety of wet noises. Her eyebrows furrowed at the noises.

_What is happening in there?_ she wondered, walking closer.

"Mmnh! Sa-Sasuke…" she heard. It was the rasping and breathless sound of Naruto's voice. She dared not open the door now.

Sakura found herself breaking into a cold sweat, fearful of something. She licked her thumb and carefully tore a hole into the thin, paper that covered the wooden frame of the door. She peered in quietly, and her eyes widened.

Naruto's robes were pulled apart until there were only clinging onto his body because of the gravity that kept it down. One of his hands was being held above his head by the wrist because of Sasuke. She could tell that his legs were parted and his mouth was covered by Sasuke's. The front of Sasuke's robes hung out to the side, pooling on the floor and shielding most of their bodies from Sakura's view. His eyebrows were furrowed in the utmost look of concentration as he kissed Naruto deeply.

Both of them were covered in sweat as they continued their sinful act.

The pink-haired girl's hand flew to her mouth as bile rose in her throat. As quietly as possible, she ran out of the hallway, the image not fading from her mind. It was so, so sick.

When she reached a bathroom, she began to retch. After she was done, she stumbled out, disoriented, and leaned against a wall.

_They…They aren't even the same… Naruto isn't even human… Both of them… Both of them… are male…_

Horror and shock overtook her body, numbing her like anesthetic. No matter how open-minded a person, the time period and the factors that were incorporated was enough to make them sick. The feeling Sakura had was as bad as if she had walked in on a man having sex with a dog.

Her hair stuck to the small crevices of the wall as she slid down. She paid no heed to her splayed legs as she continued to breathe heavily, trying to make sense of whatever the hell just happened.

The girl began to bite her finger to try and wake up from the horrendous dream she was caught it. Even as blood trickled down her hand, and tears down her face, she didn't wake up.

It was as if she was trapped in Hell.

---

Sasuke watched the sleeping face carefully and placed his hand on his whisker-marked face. He gazed at the closed eyes and fanned out lashes, running his thumb over them, enjoying the slightly tickling and pricking feeling. Naruto shifted under his touch and some words tumbled from his throat.

The Uchiha smiled lightly. "What was that, Naruto?" he asked softly, not really expecting an answer.

"I'm sorry, Sasuke," Naruto muttered again, more clearly this time.

"Hn," the boy laughed softly. "I should be the one apologizing, moron…" He rubbed his thumb over Naruto's lower lip and leaned in to kiss him. His hand wandered to the back of his head, where he grabbed a fistful of blond hair. Sasuke pushed his tongue into Naruto's mouth, where he licked at his sharp canines and gums.

Suddenly, a rougher tongue rubbed up against his and Sasuke drew back. Soft blue eyes opened slowly and sleepily as their kiss ended.

"Did I wake you up?" Sasuke asked rhetorically.

The fox moved a bit and licked his lips lazily. "Yeah. Should I punish you for that?" he inquired playfully.

Sasuke rolled onto his back, allowing Naruto to climb on top of him. "Maybe," he smirked.

Naruto growled a bit and trapped Sasuke under his body, looking at him with his eyes. His hips swayed as his tail swished from side to side, looking predatory. He grinned at Sasuke.

The boy closed his eyes momentarily, and something ran through his mind, faint and forgotten.

_The candles inside of the dark room flickered, giving Sasuke a better look at everyone in the room. Why did they all look so grim? But something orange moved in his vision, and his attention was averted._

_A tail. What? Why does that boy have a tail? Now that Sasuke tried to remember more clearly, he saw that the boy had ears on the top of his head. They were pointed. He grinned and swished his tail around. Such a fox-like creature._

_Slowly, the boy walked toward him and Kakashi moved away. He circled him several times, slowly, investigating him, touching him lightly, then stopping right behind him. Sasuke jumped slightly when he felt the boy place his small hands on his shoulders and rested his head by the juncture where his neck and shoulders met. He heard him inhale deeply, taking in his scent._

The Uchiha opened his eyes and splayed his fingertips against the tan skin of his pet. "Naruto… Have we met before?" he suddenly asked.

The fox was at a loss for words. His eyes showed clear confusion and he did not answer.

"Never mind…" Sasuke shook his head a bit and pulled himself up to kiss the fox. He was gently pushed back down as Naruto leaned down.

Naruto moved down to Sasuke's shoulder, where he began to lick a large bite wound, leftover from their earlier act. It already stopped bleeding, but the faint smell of blood remained.

Suddenly, the smell of blood intensified, burning his nostrils. His breath quickened and his gaze turned empty.

_He could smell it too, the blood. The fox-ish boy growled lightly and drew back. Softly, he walked around the quiet Sasuke until they were staring at each other._

"_What's wrong –?" he heard Iruka ask, but the name was omitted. His brain refused to reveal the fox-boy's name. It was buzzed out, censored._

_The blond turned around and shook his head. Looking back at Sasuke, he stepped closer._

"Sasuke?"

He became part of his current world again.

"What's wrong?" Naruto's eyebrows were furrowed together as he looked at his owner worriedly.

A smile came on his face, "Nothing." He looked at Naruto's slightly parted mouth and stuck his thumb inside. Absently, he pressed his thumb along the sharpness of the fox's teeth until Naruto closed his mouth and began to suck on his finger.

_Sasuke did not step back from the boy. He saw his own hand lift up and opened the boy's lips, revealing sharp teeth. His especially sharp canines intrigued him as he began to run his finger over his teeth. The boy didn't move._

"_Sas'ke…"_

_The Uchiha felt his thumb being wetted by a moist tongue._

When he blinked again, he found Naruto looking at him oddly again.

He sighed and wrapped an arm around his pet's neck, dragging him down. "I feel like I've met you before."

"You're not making any sense, bastard."

"I know."

---

"Sakura-chan. Sakura-chan?"

The pink-haired girl looked up uncertainly, her watery eyes and tear-stained face shining in the moonlight. How long has she been crouched down like that? It took her a while to realize that it was Itachi who was standing over her, repeating her name.

"I-Itachi-sama…" she rapsed hoarsely.

"What's wrong, Sakura-chan? Why have you been crying?" the man asked sweetly.

_I can't tell him,_ she thought suddenly. It wasn't because she felt that it was too gross to tell, but rather, deep inside her, she knew that if she told Itachi what she had seen, nothing good would come from it. "N-Nothing, Itachi-sama," she stammered, wiping away tears and mucus from her face. She stood up shakily.

"Are you homesick already? We aren't caging you in here, you can go back home to visit if you want…" the older Uchiha informed her in a soft, gentle voice.

Sakura shook her head uneasily. She hid her hand under her sleeves, suddenly aware that she had bitten it a long, long time ago.

"You aren't homesick?" the man asked. He paused. "Then what is bothering you?"

Again, the girl hesitated. "It's nothing, Itachi-sama. I… I suppose I'm just too tired and overexerted from all the excitement," she forced herself to smile. It didn't come out right.

She shivered slightly when she remembered that scene. Part of her wanted to tell Itachi, the other part swore to keep it a secret. No matter how terrible it was, no matter how bad she was feeling, no matter what Itachi did, she still needed time to chew over the information. Both of them were her friends, spouse even, and she didn't want to hurt either of them. And her instincts told her that this serene-looking man was anything but serene if angered.

"Sakura-chan," the voice became stern. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing, Itachi-sama…"

She gasped suddenly, when his eyes turned red and seemed to hold her immobile. After several seconds, she fell down again, unconscious.

Itachi made a face of distaste as he turned around and walked to Naruto's room. "So shocked and still protecting them? Foolish."

He silently opened the doors to the room and went inside. He smelled sweat. It was humid inside of the room. By the corner of the room, he could see two sleeping figures. The blanket had been hastily pulled up, covering their chests, but leaving their tangled legs exposed. Miscellaneous clothing articles were thrown on the floor next to them.

Both of them were facing each other, Sasuke's arms around Naruto's shoulders, and Naruto's arms around Sasuke's waist. They were sleeping so peacefully.

Itachi stared at them impassively and went out again, closing the doors.

The most terrible, most awful, most evil smile ever stretched Itachi's face.


	12. Information Overload

**Beta-read by Nadramon.**

---

"So," Jiraiya said.

"So what?" Tsunade furrowed her brows, making her look even more irritated than she already was.

The man smoothed out the scroll in front of him onto the rickety table. He tapped his finger on a certain column, full of numbers and dates and important events. "It should be about time for the technique to wear out. It has been over the time limit. Soon, they'll remember again."

Tsunade stood up from her seat and walked over to where Jiraiya was sitting. She picked up the scroll and read the column. "Yes."

"Shouldn't it be about time they knew though?" Shizune spoke up.

"Yes," the woman repeated. She sighed a bit and dropped the scroll back down. "Yes, it is about time. I hope that it will not be too painful for them…"

Soft grunting filled the air as Tonton made her way to Shizune. The woman crouched down to pick up the pig and frowned a bit.

---

_Naruto remembered this scent. Sasuke's scent. It was distinct and familiar. It reminded him of something. Something far, far back in the back of his memories._

_It was cold. Very cold. Already winter-time and all he had on were some thin robes, too small on him. Even his tail wrapped around him did not get him any warmer. But he dared not go into a shop to warm up. He knew he would be ridiculed and kicked out immediately. So he stayed on the floor, hoping that the snow would let up soon._

_He supposed he fell into a frozen slumber when he was suddenly awoken by someone. Instinctively, he whimpered and tried to get away from that person, hoping that he would not be struck._

"_Hey, calm down, it's okay… I'm not going to hurt you…" the voice comforted. The man crouched down and touched him lightly on the knee._

_Naruto looked up at the man, examining his features. He had brown hair, tied up in a ponytail, a large scar across his nose, and a gentle smile. Yet still, he could not help but to be scared and apprehensive._

"_Trust me… Naruto," he said._

_His name. What? Naruto's eyes widened. How did this man know his name? Even _he_ barely knew it…_

"_Come with me," the man said, throwing his cape over him and standing up again. He offered his hand to the shivering fox and smiled again._

_Slowly, Naruto stood up and took the man's hand._

_He was taken to an obscure part of the village where he had never been in before. The man had led him into a small, dark room and offered him a seat on a rickety table, where two people sat. In the shadowy walls of the room, Naruto could make out another two people. On the floor laid a pig, staring at him curiously._

_All of the people gave off a frightening aura, as if they were there to hurt him. Naruto refused to move and began to whine and whimper._

"_Don't worry, Naruto, they aren't going to hurt you either," the man consoled him._

_The fox was not reassured at all though. He tried to turn back, but the man pushed him forward, into the flickering light of candles. His blue eyes tried to take in everything as he reluctantly sat down._

_Across from him sat a man and a woman._

_The man had a large wart on his nose, and two red lines that went from the bottom of his eyes to the end of his cheeks. He was smoking from a pipe, making his eyes burn slightly from the close contact. His spiky white hair moved slightly with each breath he took. Narrow eyes examined the fox from the corner of his eyes._

_The woman next to him seemed just as hostile. The small diamond dot on the middle of her forehead kept him interested for a while. He noted that she had pale blonde hair as well, just not as bright as his own. For a small moment, he wondered if she was ever made fun of because of her hair. His young mind paid no attention to her large breasts._

_After looking over at his tablemates, Naruto turned his head to see a man with silvery-white hair leaning on the wall. Most of his face was obscured by cloth and the only visible thing left was a sleepy-looking eye. But at least he looked disinterested in Naruto, and not murderous._

_On the other side of the room, a woman with short black hair gazed at him. She didn't seem as frightening as the others. That relieved Naruto somewhat._

"_Naruto," the brown-haired man called out to him._

_The fox turned around in the chair._

"_I'm Umino Iruka, Naruto. Nice to meet you," he smiled again._

_Smiles were contagious, and soon the fox found himself smiling uncertainly as well._

_Iruka gestured around the room, introducing him to the other people in the room too._

_Hatake Kakashi, Jiraiya, Tsunade, Shizune. The last three were given without a last name._

"_Welcome," Iruka said._

_Naruto blinked and his memories blanked out for a moment, rendering him into a pure white world. Slowly, his vision sharpened again, and a scene materialized to him once more._

_In this memory, he felt that he was already very close to the five people he had just met in his last memory. He felt as if he had known them for a very, very long time._

_It had been a warmer night this time. Everyone was having a rendezvous in that same little room. Naruto was standing behind Shizune that night, with Iruka close by. It seemed like the tension in the air was very strained._

_Suddenly, the door leading to the room was opened and Kakashi walked in with another figure next to him. It was a boy. A young boy around seven._

_Kakashi had knelt down beside the boy and asked him, "Sasuke… Are you okay?"_

_He saw the boy open his mouth, but only a whimper came out._

"_Kak'shi?" Naruto asked quietly._

_Kakashi had turned around to look at him. "What is it?"_

_He pointed at the boy. Iruka had crouched down next to him and told him, "That's Uchiha Sasuke."_

_Naruto looked at him. He felt as if he knew the boy, but he felt so far away from him. He looked really scared and… dead. He tried to comfort Sasuke as he grinned widely and wagged his tail, but he received no reaction._

_He took a step forward to the boy. Then another. And another. And soon, he found himself standing in front of the boy. He circled him several times, just to see who he really was. Finally, when he was done observing Sasuke, he placed his hands on his shoulder and buried his nose into his robes, smelling him._

_A choking, metallic smell rose from the silk. He knew this smell as 'blood.' Naruto was familiar with it, since he often smelled it when he was beaten by people. He growled softly and returned to the front of the boy, still looking at him._

"_What's wrong, Naruto?" Iruka asked softly._

_Naruto turned around and shook his head. He felt compelled to take another step to the boy. So he did. Sasuke did not move away. Instead, he lifted his hand and placed it on his cheek. How cold his small hand felt against his cheek._

_The fox felt his mouth being opened with his thumb and the finger became warm as Naruto breathed on it with his heated breath._

"_Sas'ke…" he murmured, accidentally licking the thumb and tasting the saltiness on it._

_Once again, his vision blanked out and he waited. Warmth touched his cheeks and the sunlight made it hard to see for a while as a new memory unfolded._

_Laughter._

_Naruto felt himself running around in a small park of sorts. He felt grass being crushed under him. He felt the warm breeze giggle in his ears. He felt happy._

_Two other people were with him, playing._

_A blur of blue-black hair. A blur of pink hair._

_The names immediately came to him. Uchiha Sasuke and Haruno Sakura._

_Both of them appeared to be around the age of seven._

_They laughed and played in the warm day, not having a care in the world. It was wonderful._

_Suddenly, like an old movie film that had run out, the images stopped moving and burned away. He was faced with darkness this time, not brightness._

_When his memories cleared again, he was faced with a grim-looking Tsunade._

"_Naruto," she said to him in a low voice. "This is for the best."_

_He saw her hand approach him, but he couldn't move._

_Slowly, slowly the edges of the frozen memory faded away until he was once again left in an empty, frigid world._

When Naruto woke up with a start, he was alone in his room again. A feeling of utter loss and depression swept over him, like an ominous wave. His chest hurt again, and he gasped, clutching at the skin. His head began to throb painfully as the strands of his dream replayed, already blurring and becoming forgotten again.

Sasuke had left already, and now he felt even more desolate and helpless.

_Why do I feel so empty?_

---

Sakura had woken up inside of Sasuke's, or rather _their_, room that morning. She couldn't remember much of yesterday's events, but the horrifying image of Sasuke and Naruto… It wasn't forgotten. When she tried to recollect her thoughts, she only remembered as far as running to the bathroom, vomiting, and crying.

_I must have fallen asleep at the wall…_ she thought to herself, sitting up on the futon. Empty next to her. Not warm. She sighed and rubbed her temples. Her thoughts were interrupted when she heard the door creak open.

A messy-looking Sasuke walked in silently. He glanced at her momentarily before walking to the closet.

"Sorry, did I wake you up?" he asked without looking at her.

Sakura took a moment to reply. "No…"

The only thing that they both heard for a while was the rustling of silk against silk as Sasuke picked out new robes to wear.

"Where are you going today?" the pink-haired girl asked tentatively.

Sasuke straightened out and looked at her. "To visit Naruto."

When she did not answer, but only looked away briefly, he walked toward the bath. He stopped when she spoke up again.

"May I accompany you and visit him as well?"

The Uchiha paused. "Yes."

As Sasuke sat down by the table, waiting for Sakura to finish bathing, he closed his eyes and thought. The memories came back more frequently and more clearly now. He could even recall the dream he had last night.

_It was different this time. It wasn't in that dreary, dark room. It was out in a park or field somewhere. He was running and jumping around. Such strange behavior he was displaying. He was chasing someone._

_Orange__. Tail. Yellow. Hair. Blue. Eyes._

_Laughing._

_And out of the corner of his eyes, he saw a flash of pink._

_Ah. Sakura. What was she doing here?_

_She was laughing too._

"_Naruto! Naruto, Sasuke, wait up!" she called out, giggling a bit._

_So it is him._

_He felt himself slow down and wave Naruto over. His mouth was open, and he was smiling. It felt nice to smile, even if it was in a dream, or memory._

_The memory had then faded away quickly, and was replaced with yet another one._

_A woman was staring at him, and at the moment, the name 'Tsunade' immediately surfaced into his mind. In his dreams, he had never been introduced to her, but somehow, he knew her name._

_He was vaguely aware that Naruto was lying down next to him, sleeping, his face completely calm._

"_Sasuke, forgive me," she had said and pressed a finger to his forehead._

_It felt as if he had been knocked back with much force. But then he realized that it hadn't hurt. He felt light._

_Floating._

_Forgetting._

_Forgotten._

_Desolate._

"Sasuke, I'm ready," Sakura said, jolting the Uchiha out of his daydream.

"Alright…" he said, somewhat shakily and stood up, walking to the door. The utter feeling of being completely stripped from his feelings lingered with him for a moment.

---

When she had gone into the springs to take a bath, she had fallen asleep on accident. For the past couple of days, dreams, or nightmares, overtook her night, making it difficult to fall into a deep slumber. Just last night, she had a dream, but that was another story to tell.

That combined with yesterday's 'adventure' made her completely exhausted. She didn't mean to fall asleep, but it couldn't be helped.

'_Don't run, Sakura, it isn't ladylike.'_

_She had been walking to her home after playing with Ino that day. Sakura was very happy at the moment and had begun to ran, ignoring her parents' rules of not running and being ladylike. She was too happy to care for that._

_But suddenly, her happiness turned to pain when she tripped and fell, scraping her knees and arms. She began to cry softly, clutching her arm as blood began to ooze from the light wounds._

"_Are you okay?" she heard someone ask. A shadow wrapped itself around her._

_Sakura looked up and saw a busty, blonde woman looking down at her._

'_Don't talk to strangers, Sakura, it could be dangerous.'_

_She shook her head. "It hurts…"_

"_May I see?" the woman asked her. She knelt down next to her and examined the scratched up arm and knee._

'_Sakura, don't ever tell your name to a stranger, okay?'_

"_I'm Haruno Sakura! Who are you?" she said a bit cheerfully, trying to be brave and not cry anymore because of her scratches._

_The woman paused. "Tsunade."_

"_Oh."_

_Tsunade leaned back a bit. "Sakura, I'm going to help make the pain go away, okay? Be a good girl and hold still."_

_The pink-haired girl nodded._

_Her eyes widened when Tsunade's hand suddenly began to glow green. But her surprise was even more amplified as she watched her scratch disappear and the pain go away. The same was done to her knee and soon, she was good as new._

"_Wow, Tsunade-sama! That was so nice of you! I wish I could learn to do the same thing you can do…" Sakura said, somewhat wistfully._

_The woman laughed a bit. "Really, now?"_

_Sakura nodded happily._

'_Don't follow strangers anywhere, or you might get into trouble, Sakura!'_

"_I'll teach you, Sakura, if you really want," Tsunade stood up and looked at her._

_The girl smiled. "Please?"_

_Tsunade laughed again. "Alright, then. Come with me."_

_She could feel herself following this woman to some strange part of the village. Sakura had never been there before, but she already trusted this woman._

_When she found herself in a small, dark room, she was fearful. What was going to happen? But when she saw two boys sitting down in the middle of the floor, she felt a bit better. Somewhat._

_Compare and contrast._

_One had black hair, the other had yellow hair. Dark eyes, bright eyes. A scowl, a smile. Pale skin, tan skin. Human ears, fox ears. No tail, fox tail. Unscarred face, whiskered face. Handsome, normal. Godly, ungodly. Sasuke, Naruto._

_She knew those two, even though it was the first time she was immerged in this memory._

_There were some adults gathered in the back of the room, discussing something._

"_Sakura, this is Uchiha Sasuke and Uzumaki Naruto," Tsunade briefly introduced._

_The rest of the names came flooding in and she remembered them all._

_Kakashi, Jiraiya, Shizune, Iruka, Naruto, Sasuke._

_Names, faces, personalities, interests, histories, things, things, things._

_She remembered them all._

_Blank. Dark. Light. Empty. Like a sudden fog had overcome her senses, all her memories halted._

_Then a bit of light, and a familiar face._

"_Let's meet up again later, okay, Sakura?" Tsunade smiled and placed her finger on her forehead. She was dimly aware of Naruto and Sasuke sleeping next to her._

_Tsunade's eyes went half-lidded and sad as Sakura felt a searing pain of something being torn away from her._

_Stolen, ripped, cut off, no longer, no more, all gone, so empty._

_And the pain went away._

And she woke up, slightly waterlogged, and came out of the bath. For a moment, she was light-headed, but that cleared up quickly.

She hoped she had not slept for too long.

When she exited the springs and into the room, she found Sasuke somewhat out of the world. He didn't appear to be annoyed when she snapped him out of his thoughts.

Now that she was in the present world again, her thoughts became mixed and murky. She had seen Sasuke and Naruto yesterday. She had seen what they were doing. She had seen it all, feared it all, knew it all, hated it all. But, against her heart's wishes, she accepted it all.

It was strange for her to be able to accept such a thing. Especially in such a time period and with all the things incorporated. Uchiha Sasuke, her long love, Uzumaki Naruto, one of her closest friends… They, defying nature and logic, defying stereotypes and standards, defying the hopes and expectations, defying everything and anything, defying the _rules_, they loved each other. And that was something Sakura had to accept no matter what.

But it felt terrible. Sick and disgusting. Yes, love knew no gender, but still! But still…

And she suddenly found herself in front of Naruto's room alongside Sasuke.

---

Naruto decided to eat that morning. _Finally_, he decided to eat that morning. And he decided not to brood under blankets, so he stood up and stretched a bit, having not moved for over two weeks.

He placed his hands on the floor and stretched out his hind legs, very much like a fox. When he was done straightening out the kinks in his tired muscles and bones, he sat down on his haunches, his tail draped around his hands and feet.

He spent many minutes sitting like that, his eyes closed and his ears twitching occasionally. His headache had gone away very quickly. But the emptiness remained. It still hurt him a bit in his chest, but it wasn't too bad.

_Those weren't dreams_, Naruto thought. _Not _just_ dreams. Lost memories?_

The fox placed his hands onto his forehead and fell back so that his head was resting on the disheveled blankets of his futon. He closed his eyes lightly and thought.

He knew Sasuke before. Wasn't that what the boy had asked last night?

"_Have I met you before, Naruto?"_

Did that mean that Sasuke was having the same dreams—no, memories?

He sat up again and waited for something. Somehow, he knew that something was about to happen. And within a few minutes, he heard two pairs of feet walking down the hallway that lead to his room. Naruto straightened his robes and sat up straighter.

Sasuke and Sakura entered. A grin immediately lit up his face and he stood up to greet the two.

"Naruto," Sakura smiled a bit awkwardly at him.

"Hi Sakura-chan, Sasuke," the fox replied, his tail already going haywire.

Sasuke looked at him and only breathed out a short, "Hn."

They talked shortly, making sure that Naruto was okay and happy—happier, at least—and healthy.

"The sakura blossoms should be beginning to bloom now, right?" Naruto asked quietly, aware of the time frame they were in.

"Yes," Sakura answered softly, trying to fit into the strangely strained conversation.

The fox's face brightened. "I know!" he said, slamming his fist onto his palm. "You two could go out and take a walk through the new blooms! Then you can come back and tell me all about it!" Naruto grinned.

The girl looked at him peculiarly.

"The healers still won't let me out," he shrugged indifferently. "But I hope I can get out of here soon. It's lonely and dark here."

Sasuke reached out and rubbed his left ear.

Naruto perked up again at the familiar gesture of comfort.

"Yeah, yeah! You two! Get out of here so that you can come back faster and tell me all about it! It'll be so fun I bet!"

And with that, he ushered them out.

It wasn't until Sasuke and Sakura found themselves staring at the hallway when they realized that they had been kicked out. They turned around to look at shut door.

On the other side, Naruto was pressed against the door, his hands keeping the wooden frame together. It wasn't as if he didn't notice. The constricting atmosphere. It was there. And it was present. Sakura… She knew something.

And just to run away from that, just to get away from that, he had kicked them out with a grin. So false, so fake, so insincere.

Naruto sighed slightly and placed his forehead against the worn wood.

"Phew…" he sighed quietly.

---

What else was there to do except to follow Naruto's wishes?

So the Uchiha couple went down the sakura garden. Indeed, the flowers were beginning to bloom and the heavy fragrance of the flowers was almost intoxicating. So sweet that it was almost _too_ sweet.

They walked through the path, kicking up some stray blossoms on the floor in silence. Sakura had her hands folded in front of her, her eyes carefully averted to the floor in front of her. Sasuke was staring straight ahead, looking slightly bored.

"Sa-Sasuke-kun?" Sakura looked up slightly, just a bit nervous.

"Hn," he hummed, not even bothering to make it sound like a question.

"I… About…" the pink-haired girl paused before resuming, "A-About Naruto and you…"

Sasuke stopped walking and looked at her. His eyebrows furrowed and he looked at her with dangerously glittering eyes. "What about it?"

"Y-Yesterday I…" she bit her lower lip until it began to hurt. "You and Naruto…"

Her suspicious words and nervousness made Sasuke narrow his eyes. "You know?"

She glanced up at him briefly and looked away again.

"I didn't mean to, I didn't know at first then… I… looked in and… Sasuke you…"

Sasuke began to walk again, but this time his gait was no longer slow and relaxed. It was stiff and angry. "Yes. Is there a problem with that?"

"N-No… It's just… He's not even hu—"

"Do I look like I care whether he's human or not? Male or not? Do I _look_ like I care?" he turned around abruptly, suddenly angry at her. He wasn't fearful that she might tell someone. No, he was just angry.

Sakura let him rant. "Sasuke-kun," she said quietly. "No matter what it is you do… I will support you…" The pink-haired girl looked at him sadly with her clear, green eyes.

"Don't you want to know then?" Sasuke asked her abruptly.

"Know…?" she looked at him cautiously.

"Why I married you."

Her gaze fell and she continued to shuffle a bit.

"I'm sorry. I don't love you. Itachi made me."

"I… I see."

"You don't care?" he asked, not quite surprised, but slightly annoyed at her lack of vocabulary.

Sakura shook her head.

His anger drained. The Uchiha turned away from her, so that she was facing his back. "Sorry for getting angry," he apologized half-heartedly.

Sakura shuffled after him. Although she was not _completely_ accepting toward the idea that Sasuke loved something that wasn't human and _male_, she had to. No matter what she did, she knew that no one could force themselves into love or out of it. She was open-minded and cared about him enough.

"I'm sorry for bringing it up…" she murmured.

She should have been jealous. Here she was, with her _husband_ who obviously didn't like women. Or humans for that matter. But she wasn't envious. She wasn't mad. She wasn't disgusted, or shocked, or disgruntled. She was slightly happy. Because she had received a memory only last night. She remembered it.

---

"_Sasuke! Naruto!" she called out, her short legs carrying quickly across the small, grassy area they always played in._

_Young Sakura-chan halted her running and looked around. Neither of them were around. She felt her lower lip push up as she pouted a bit. Walking briskly, her head turning left and right, she tried to locate her two friends._

_When she turned the corner, she spotted the two, only to gasp slightly and hide behind the edge of the building. She smiled faintly as she listened to the two of them talk._

_The two boys had their backs turned to her. Sasuke was facing Naruto while the fox-ish boy was messing with some dandelions in front of him. He didn't seem to be giving Sasuke his undivided attention, but the young Uchiha didn't seem to care._

"_Ne, ne," Sasuke beckoned Naruto, making the other one look up momentarily, "You know what?"_

_Sakura watched as Naruto's tail made lazy, large sweeps across the long, itchy grass. His ears flicked a bit as he listened to his friend talk._

"_I think I like you, Naruto," Sasuke confessed. A childish smile graced his face. It wasn't rare for him to smile back then. Never rare. He smiled just as much as Naruto did, if not more._

"_Hm?" Naruto looked up. A foxy grin was revealed, along with much of his sharp teeth. His small hand lifted up as he tucked a bright flower behind Sauske's ear. The brightness of the petals rivaled that of his own blond hair._

_Sasuke's nose wrinkled as the flower was placed there. "That makes me look girly," he complained._

"_I don't care," Naruto replied easily, his attention returning to the remaining blossoms._

_The dark-haired boy giggled slightly. "That's why I like you, Naruto," and with that, he leaned in closer to the blond and kissed him lightly on the cheek._

_The gesture shocked the poor thing so much, that he fell over to his side. Sakura had to clap her hand over her mouth in order not to laugh too loudly. Her green eyes sparkled with merriment._

_Naruto recovered quickly and his arms went around the fallen Sasuke, hugging him loosely. "I like you, too," he whispered into the boy's ear, laughing lightly._

---

Her green eyes cleared up when she looked up again.

Sasuke shoved his arms up his sleeves and continued to walk silently.

Even though a long time had passed since they spoke, the atmosphere was still tense and unnatural.

Their discomfort made them oblivious to the shadows lurking above them.

Such a sickening smile the man held. Such a vicious smile the man held. Such a dangerous smile the man held. And neither of them noticed.

They noticed, yes, once a kunai embedded itself on the ground in front of them.

Immediately, the two of them grew alert, cursing themselves for being so lax all of a sudden.

"My, my," a silky voice came from the trees above them. "I haven't hurt one of you by accident, now did I?"

Both of them looked up to see where the voice had originated from.

A snake-ish man was perched on a low branch, staring at them. Two purple marks were swiped from the inner sides of his eyes and his skin was an ashen grey, making him look dead. Then they noticed his revolting smile.

Sasuke reached for his hidden weapons and got ready to attack their assailant.

"What's this?" the man asked. "No introductions? Well, I suppose not. I already know you two. Kabuto had been very good with information gathering… Uchiha Sasuke, Uchiha Sakura…"

The couple's eyes widened as their names were revealed.

"I'm Orochimaru… Nice to meet you as well," he continued his one-sided conversation. He leapt from his perch and landed some meters away from them.

Sasuke had a kunai out and Sakura had gotten into a fighting posture.

Orochimaru's yellow eyes slid over to Sakura. "Sorry, Sakura-chan, but you won't be needed here." Suddenly, in a great burst of speed, he had appeared in front of her and had sent her flying into a tree. There was a crack of impact and the girl had fallen on the floor, unconscious.

The remaining Uchiha barely saw what happened. He gasped and backed away, quickly activating his Sharingan.

The man turned around calmly, as if what he had done was nothing. He continued to grin. "I can see in your eyes what it is you want…" he hissed lightly.

He didn't answer, just watched him carefully. Sasuke was aware of the fact that Sakura might have been hurt, but he couldn't get to her with Orochimaru blocking him.

"What you want…" the man interrupted his thoughts, "is _power._ Isn't that right, Sasuke-kun?"

The endearing suffix made Sasuke shiver. He narrowed his eyes and did not answer. Deciding that it was best to ward the man off and see if Sakura was okay, he charged at him.

His attack was easily blocked and parried.

"But you haven't even heard my proposal yet, Sasuke-kun! Why are you getting so angry?" he laughed.

What a terrible laugh.

Suddenly, Sasuke found himself staring straight into Orochimaru's eyes. Oppressive, dangerous eyes.

The Uchiha found himself struck with irrational fear. Pure, pure fear. Fear that paralyzed him to the point that he could not breathe anymore. He was held in the standstill.

_No… No… Move, legs! Move! Move or I'll be killed!_

But he couldn't move, couldn't move one centimeter. Just submerged in the worst type of fear ever. His thoughts fluttered momentarily to the Uchiha massacre, which had struck just as much fear into him as now.

Sasuke's body began to shiver. Just from a look into his eyes… Entrapped with such a feeling of uselessness and helplessness.

Orochimaru began walking toward him, a sneer placed on his face. He had brought out a kunai as well, and was running his finger over the edge of it. Sasuke saw his tongue swipe over his lips. Too long of a tongue.

_Move, move!_

He gripped his kunai harder and stabbed himself in the thigh. The pain brought him out of the illusion he was unconsciously trapped in and he darted away. He quickly pulled out the kunai.

Blood splattered on the ground and onto the already pink blossoms that littered the floor.

Now, unable to run efficiently, Sasuke stared at the ground, just wanting to give up.

"Very smart… Using pain to get you out of that… But you are powerless aren't you, Sasuke-kun? Don't you want to kill me right now? But you don't have the power, do you?" Orochimaru laughed again. "I'll give it to you."

Sasuke's eyes widened when he looked up and saw that Orochimaru's head was flying toward him. He didn't even have time to use a long string of profanities as a searing pain jolted from his left shoulder when he felt _fangs_ pierce his skin and extract themselves again. He screamed in pain and fell to his knees.

"You will seek me, Sasuke-kun…" the man chuckled lowly.

It was the last thing Sasuke remembered before passing out from the morbid pain.

---

It was dim and dusky in the room when Sasuke woke up hazily. How long has he been sleeping? He felt as if he had not moved for years. His body was stiff and painful, especially on his shoulder.

He groaned as he sat up.

"_You will seek me, Sasuke-kun…"_

Sasuke shuddered. Of all people he could go to, why in the world would he go to that sick man? The way that Orochimaru looked at him… It was not right.

_Where am I now?_

He looked around the room and found that it was not his.

But before he could even wonder about his surroundings, an unimaginable pain seared through his body, and he clutched at his shoulder, falling forward a bit. When the pain finally subsided, he was panting hard and covered in sweat.

His throat felt painfully parched and he tried to lick his dry lips, but to no avail.

He was not aware of a door opening and closing in his haze. The room suddenly filled with a dim, flickering flame.

"Sasuke-kun?" a familiar voice asked.

"Sakura…"

The girl walked over to him and brought the candle closer, placing it onto the floor next to the futon.

"Where are we?" Sasuke looked at her suspiciously.

"With good people," she replied quietly. "Are you feeling better?"

He scowled. "No."

Her face fell and her hands tightened in her lap.

"How long have I been sleeping?"

"A day," she whispered softly.

"Only a day?"

"Only a day."

Silence overtook them as the information sorted itself out.

"Then what time is it?" Sasuke asked.

"Night-time."

"I see."

Sakura sat there quietly, observing Sasuke for any signs of discomfort.

"Are you okay?"

"Wh-What?" her green eyes widened. Ever since they've met, Sasuke never really cared about her at all.

"Are you okay?" he repeated, sighing a bit.

"I'm fine… Tsunade-sama healed me quickly."

"Tsunade…" Sasuke said the name out loud.

Sakura looked at him oddly, as if trying to see his reaction.

"Augh…" Sasuke bent over again, clutching his shoulder. He began to shiver violently and grew cold.

"I-I'll go get Kakashi-sensei!" Sakura exclaimed, rushing out of the dark room.

And come he did, while Sasuke was still writhing in pain. He immediately walked over to the boy and pulled his robes down so that a strange mark was on his shoulder. Three dots with tails, similar to the Sharingan, but much more sinister.

Behind his mask, Kakashi frowned .

"Sasuke," he said, not sure if the boy heard him or not, "I'm going to put another seal over this one… So that you will be able to control it…"

Quickly, he removed Sasuke's robes and put down various scrolls around the room, preparing the procedure.

Outside of the room, Sakura was waiting. She wasn't alone though.

It was an awkward place to be at, such a stuffy room with people she didn't really know, but recognized.

Jiraiya, Tsunade, Shizune.

She flinched when she heard Sasuke scream in agony in the room next to them.

Jiraiya coughed dryly.

"Will he be okay, Tsunade-sama?" the girl asked nervously.

"With Kakashi, yes, he will be," the woman reassured her.

Pink hair bobbed as she nodded lightly and gazed at the candle in front of her.

The wavering flame danced with the concern in her eyes.

---

"Maah…" Naruto rolled around on his messy futon.

Yes, he had kicked Sasuke and Sakura out on purpose… Yes, he had wanted to get away from them for a while because it didn't feel right. And _yes_, he regretted it right after, but right now, he was so _bored_!

Even though the "look at the blossoms and come back later" part was completely made up, he seriously wanted them to come back now.

He flopped around for another three minutes before he sat up.

_Well… If I go out right now and nobody catches me… I guess it'll be okay!_

Naruto grinned and opened the door slightly, peering out into the hallway.

_Clear!_

The fox slinked out of the room and stealthily went down the hallway. An impish grin was on his face as he hid behind columns and plants, enjoying the dangerous rush of his 'mission.'

"… has your plans been going along nicely, Itachi-san?" a deep voice asked.

Naruto froze. He never heard this voice before. His blue eyes glanced around. No… This was nowhere near Itachi's room… Then who was he talking to?

Naruto slid behind a wooden beam and perked up his ears to listen more carefully.

"Surprisingly yes. Neither of the got killed, but the henchmen were. I'm positive that the attack was enough to awaken both their powers…"

The fox's bright eyes grew wider. That was Itachi's voice! Why in the world were they _here_? Some obscure corner in the palace…

There was a soft snort and cloth rustling, indicating movement. "It's so much trouble to have to make that brat use his powers… Can't believe he never consciously used it before. The job would have been done by now if it wasn't for that…"

"Patience, Kisame. We managed to hit two birds with one stone…"

"_You_ hit two birds with one stone," the deep voice retorted.

Still silence.

"God, don't _stare_ at me like that…" the man said, followed by a large scraping sound as if something sharp was being dragged across the tatami mats. "It's not like I don't know you can kill with your glares…"

More silence.

"So what about your kid brother?"

"I'm sure that he was provoked enough to waken his slumbering powers as well…"

Naruto could almost hear the smirk in his voice.

"And soon we can get them both… Just one more step left in our plan…"

A blood-churning laugh filled the room and later, a deeper laugh joined in.

The fox ran away silently, hoping that he would be able to find Sasuke and Sakura. And _fast_. He nearly skidded on the floor while turning a corner, but instead of picking himself up, he resorted to running on all fours.

_Shit, I need to get them. Whatever the hell they're planning, it can't be good._


	13. Surprise, surprise!

**Beta-read by Nadramon.**

---

From the midst of the city, two figures walked out of an obscured building. The stars gazed at them curiously, since it was so late already. Everyone else in the village was already asleep. So what were those two doing up?

"Sakura," Sasuke said softly, tugging on his robes and fixing his obi.

Her green eyes turned to look at him. "Yes?"

"Don't tell Naruto about this… I don't want him to worry about me."

"Okay…" she replied quietly, looking around the empty streets. "Uhm… Sasuke-kun? What are we going to say if they ask us why we were missing for so long?"

The Uchiha looked at her and began walking quickly. "I'll say that we needed some alone time. And you're going to have to find a way to blush and look away when I say that," he replied flatly.

Sakura raised an eyebrow but nodded and followed him.

---

Naruto whimpered. It'd been two days since Sasuke and Sakura left his room.

_Where could they be?_

Yesterday, he had ran around the palace everywhere, trying to look for the two. Three times he went around, and still he hadn't found them. So, defeated, he had gone to Sasuke's room, but found it still empty. In hopes of them coming back soon, he curled up in a corner and fell asleep.

The next morning he woke up, they still weren't in. He sat there for a full day, and still they didn't come.

He sighed for the seventy-third time in six hours, rolled over, and fell back to sleep.

---

"Oh! You two are back! Everyone was wondering where you were…" a servant bowed at Sasuke and Sakura as they passed by. "So…" he began cheekily, "where have you two been?"

Sasuke glanced at Sakura and began their play. "We needed some time alone together…"

The girl quickly picked up. "Sasuke-kun…" she said shyly, batting him on the arm and looking away, summoning a full-fledged blush.

"_Oh,_ I _see_," the servant laughed and winked at Sasuke. He chuckled to himself as he walked away, bravely putting his hand onto Sasuke's shoulder and muttering, "Good job."

Sakura instantaneously straightened out once he was out of sight. "That's the third time tonight…"

"Get used to it, we'll be saying that a lot. Just make sure nobody catches on," Sasuke said briskly, sweeping towards his room again, his face impassionate.

Dark blue and pink silk brushed against the floor as the two of them walked back to their room.

The somewhat light mood skittered away as Sakura thought back to what she had overheard only yesterday. Her green eyes dimmed, but Sasuke did not notice.

"_Sasuke, the seal I've placed over your's is not going to be the thing that will keep you safe. It's your willpower. If you have none, then the seal won't work," Sakura heard Kakashi instruct. Everything was easily heard since the walls were thin._

"_So basically, this seal leeches off my willpower?" the monotone question came._

_There was a short, humorless laugh. "Not exactly, but good enough. As long as you understand, Sasuke."_

"_Sakura."_

_The girl looked up to see Tsunade addressing her._

"_Yes, Tsunade-sama?"_

"_We don't wish for anyone to know about Sasuke's encounter with Orochimaru," she stated gravely._

_Sakura nodded, then after a moment she asked, "Tsunade-sama, who _is_ this Orochimaru?"_

_Jiraiya and Tsunade stiffened._

"_He's an experimenter who…" Jiraiya began, his pipe puffing out more smoke than two seconds ago. "seeks for immortality."_

"_Immortality?"_

"_Yes," Tsunade picked up the explanation. "We've been on his tail for years now, but we still don't know what he is doing. Not _exactly_, anyway."_

"_So what do you know?" the pink-haired girl inquired. _

"_He wants Sasuke's body," Jiraiya stated flatly._

"_Excuse me?" her green eyes widened._

_Tsunade raised her eyebrows. "Not that way."_

_Somewhere in the corner, Shizune giggled, even in this grim environment._

_Sakura let out a small breath of relief._

"_He wants Sasuke's body, literally. He wants to transfer his soul into Sasuke's body. According to what we have collected, he has found a way to transfer his mind and soul into a person's body, since a body can only last so long. The Uchiha family has certain positive…" the woman paused, "_attributes_ that he is interested in…"_

"_Then why doesn't he get Ita—"_

"_Been there, tried that," Jiraya said shortly, smoke spiraling out of the corner of his mouth._

_The pink-haired girl stayed quiet after that._

"_The seal that he placed on Sasuke… We don't know much about it yet, but it isn't a good thing, that's for sure…" she sighed and lowered her eyes._

_The white-haired man cleared his throat authoritatively, causing the three females in the room to look at him._

"_Sakura," he began, staring straight at her. "We are aware that you may have been receiving some strange—"_

_The door leading to the room where Sasuke and Kakashi were slammed open, cutting Jiraiya off. Kakashi merely looked at him with a "what did I do?" look when Jiraiya glared at him vehemently._

"_He's going to be fine now," the masked man reported._

"_I'm glad…" Sakura said, sighing a bit._

"_Hn," was her only reply as he tugged his robes on tighter._

_When Sakura began to stand up, Tsunade stopped her._

"_I think you two should stay here for another day. In case anything… unfortunate happens."_

_Sasuke, obviously aware of their conversation beforehand, glanced at her and continued to stand there._

"_I know you people," he said, somewhat impertinently._

"_We are aware," the blonde replied._

"_Aren't you going to explain anything?" the Uchiha demanded._

_Kakashi placed a hand onto Sasuke's shoulder. "I think you two better get some rest for now," he said, his eye upturned to indicate a smile. Fake or not, they couldn't tell with his mask on._

_Sasuke eyed him suspiciously. "Fine. Where are we going to sleep at?"_

"_In the same room you just walked out of," the man replied nonchalantly, shrugging slightly._

_Sasuke's lips pressed together as he retreated back into the room. Sakura followed him silently._

_Once they were inside, both of them sat on top of the futon, listening to the faint conversation outside. The walls were thin, yes, but not thin enough for them to listen to their whispers._

_Finally giving up on straining their ears to catch the broken conversation, Sakura turned to Sasuke in the darkness, sensing that he was not going to be sleeping any time soon._

"_Sasuke?" she sibilated to him, catching his attention._

"_Hn?"_

"_That—That man… What was he after you for?" her eyes were full of unease._

"_Didn't they explain to you already?" he questioned tonelessly._

_She paused. "Only about him wanting your body…"_

_The Uchiha sighed slightly. "He offered me power…"_

"_What… What kind of power?" she asked uneasily._

"_I don't know…" he admitted. There were some sounds of him crawling under the covers of the large futon. The next time he spoke, his voice was flatter. "I really don't know."_

"_Sasuke…You… You aren't going to accept that power, will you?" she asked into the pitch blackness of the room._

_She heard him sigh again. It didn't help her nerves when he didn't answer, but only rolled to his side. The girl gave up after five minutes of listening to him feign sleep._

"_Good night, Sasuke…"_

---

"Shh…" Sasuke warned as they stepped into their room. The moment he opened the door, he noticed a figure in the corner of the room. Judging from the amount of orange and fuzziness it was consisted of, he could only guess that Naruto was curled up there.

Sakura nodded and closed the door quietly when Sasuke stepped in, walking over to his pet. A small smile was on his face as he crouched down, his face caressing the fox's cheek gently.

When Sasuke stood up, he still wore a strangely soft expression on his face. She had never seen him like that when he wasn't around Naruto. Her smile turned into a sad one. Her eyes downcast, she watched as Sasuke sat down in front of the table, his hands laced in front of him.

As she watched him, his gentle expression grew rigid, and soon, the only thing left was the normal, stoic Sasuke. No more emotions, only a plastered on mask. Just like a cocoon.

Her mind flickered back to some distant memory. One she created only some months ago. She walked over to the table as well, and sat across from Sasuke. He didn't look at her. He was staring through the table, his eyes completely unfocused.

Sakura sighed, and closed her eyes, her hands folded neatly in her lap.

---

_Ino and Sakura were sitting next to each other on a marble bench. They were in the middle of an orchard, enjoying the cooling evening. Ino was busy arranging some flowers she found along the path and Sakura was simply watching her._

"_Ino… I—I wish…" the pink-haired girl began slowly. Her eyebrows furrowed together as she tried to organize her thoughts._

"_What is it, Sakura? Why are you so worried?" Her friend allowed her small unfinished bouquet to fall to her lap as her hands stopped rearranging them._

_Sakura sighed a bit before continuing. "I want to protect Sasuke-kun…"_

_The blonde tilted her head to the side slightly. "Sakura, how can you do that? We're only girls. We can't protect him."_

_She wasn't expecting Sakura to look up with such determined eyes. "I can," she said firmly._

_Her training with Tsunade had been going very well now, and she was very confident with her skills. Lately she had observed that her teacher didn't look too cheerful anymore, but when she asked, Tsunade never answered._

_Once, by accident, Tsunade had blurted out something about Sasuke, and Sakura quickly took one plus one to reach a conclusion. Sasuke might get hurt pretty soon. She had been thinking for a long time, and now, sitting with Ino, she made up her mind._

"_Sakura… What is there that we can do, though?" the blonde asked the pink-haired girl._

_Emerald eyes clouded over as she began to slightly doubt her abilities because of her simple question. "I… I'm not too sure…" Yes, she had been training for a while now, but if Sasuke really needed her help… Would she be able to assist him?_

_They were no longer children who had time to giggle about this or about that. No, they were old enough to think rationally and abandon their former acts. Unconsciously, they had shed their old skins and came out with new personalities._

_No longer were they rabid fangirls of Sasuke. No longer were they airheads. No longer were they weak, stupid, ignorant, irrational, irritating, insane. At least, not as much as they used to be._

"_I think…" Sakura broke the silence. "I think that if Sasuke will ever need my help… I will want to help him the best I can… Ino, I don't want him to be hurt…"_

"_His well being, right?" her friend nudged her in the side playfully._

"_Yeah… His well being…" she murmured lightly._

_---_

"Sakura," Sasuke suddenly said, snapping her out of her thoughts.

She looked up and saw him gazing at her. "Yes?"

"I need to talk to you," he said as he glanced at the still slumbering Naruto.

His expression wasn't calm like before though. Small whimpering noises escaped his parted lips and his eyebrows were furrowed. Then he turned a bit and went back into peaceful doze.

"Outside," Sasuke told her, standing up already. He didn't want to wake Naruto up.

The pink-haired girl nodded and stood up as well.

---

"_Hey! Hey, you! Fox kid! Yeah, why're you runnin' away, kid?"_

_Some boys, around twelve or thirteen, huddled around a small boy around the age of three. They jeered and snickered, kicking dust into the boy's face, dirtying his blond hair… and orange fur._

"_Monster!" they chanted, their mantra growing stronger and stronger._

"_Yeah, let's kill this monster!" they cheered, punching and kicking the poor thing._

_With his arms and tails wrapped around him, Naruto tried to block the hits, but to no avail. The blows weren't growing any lighter and he whimpered and struggled, but the boys were too strong for him to ward off._

_It hurt so badly. He knew that the wounds would heal by tomorrow morning, but it hurt so, so badly. He just wanted to pass out, to become unconscious so that he would not be able to feel the pain, but he didn't. He was conscious the entire time the boys beat him._

_When they were finally gone, Naruto scrambled up and hobbled over to a small shelter under an abandoned house. He huddled into a ball and fell asleep, tears still staining his face. It was still summer, but soon the weather would become more hostile._

_The next morning, when Naruto had woken up, bruise- and cut-free, he wandered around Konoha, hoping to find some food. If not, he would have to steal again, something he hated with a vengeance. All the while, the adults glared at him, some whispering when he passed by. Young children were harshly pulled away and some people even pressed against the side of the buildings to get away from him. He was walking alone in the middle of the street, his ears flattened and tail low._

_He didn't want to hear the insults or feel the looks. He didn't want to be shunned. He didn't want this life. Why did they all hate him? Why? Why?_

_Life was terrible, and he had no idea why._

_And then he had been taken in by some mysterious man, and met two wonderful friends. Ah, fate had brought him good fortune. He felt so lucky to have friends now._

_But one day, he had to watch _them_ leave as well. He didn't remember why. He only remembered their disappearing figures as he cried out for them to stay…_

_Alone again…_

---

Naruto's eyes snapped open, his breath erratically uneven. He panicked. That nightmare made him think about the days before his acceptance into the Uchiha palace. He had never thought about life _before_ Sasuke. Now he remembered, and he was in a state of shock.

Blue eyes immediately swiveled toward the door.

Two retreating figures. So familiar.

"No…" he gasped, trying to stand up but tripping over his robes. "No…"

His stomach churned with unease. It might have been because of the nightmare he just had, or some other reason, but he didn't want them to leave. Something told him to keep them back.

When he wrenched himself off the ground and tumbled after the two, the door was already closed with a click. Naruto clawed at the door and yanked it open, tripping out after Sasuke and Sakura.

They were standing there and he was relieved. Wait, no… Why were they just _standing_ there?

The fox straightened himself and looked into the hallway. And found why they were just staring in front of them, stunned. He involuntarily took a step back.

Itachi stared at them impassively. Two servants were standing next to him, looking very indecisive. The older man jerked his chin at Naruto.

"Get him," he commanded.

Sasuke and Sakura were pushed away as the two servants hesitantly grabbed Naruto by the shoulders and began to pull him away.

It took several seconds for Naruto to register what was happening. Once he did, he began to struggle, but the two of them wouldn't let go. His nightmare was thrown aside as he remembered what he had overheard not too long ago.

"Nii-san! What are you doing to him?"

Itachi merely glanced back at the two of them before turning around and following the two servants.

"Sasuke! Sakura!" the fox screeched, still trying to get out of their clutches.

_No, wait! I still need to tell them!_

Both of them began to run after Naruto, but were stopped when Itachi turned around again and shot them such a venomous glare, it made them freeze. Their breaths hitched and they could only watch as their friend was dragged away.

Sakura turned to look at Sasuke, her eyes wide with fear.

He looked back with the same emotion portrayed in his dark eyes.

---

Soft murmuring filled the room. Everyone, Sasuke, Sakura, Naruto, Itachi, Iruka, Kakashi, and all the servants, were congregated in the main room of the palace.

Kakashi and Iruka were standing beside Sasuke and Sakura, their lips pressed together and their eyes narrowed. Sasuke and Sakura were next to each other, Sasuke looking more murderous than ever before while Sakura only wrung her hands nervously. Itachi was looking smug as he sat upon a throne-like chair, sipping tea.

As for Naruto, he was thrown on the floor, his legs and hands bound together with chains. He was sitting up, trying to look around, confused at his situation. The servants were glancing at him, as if looking at him for too long might burn their eyes out. They were whispering and pointing at him, and he had no idea what was happening.

None of them did, really. None except for Itachi.

"Everybody," he said, making everyone stop chatting and look at him, "I'm sorry to have called you out here so late at night, but this is urgent news."

They all stiffened.

"Naruto has been found suspicious of murdering someone."

"What?" the question reverberated throughout the room. Eyes widened, and gasps could be heard. Iruka and Kakashi exchanged looks and grimaced. Sasuke's glare hardened and Sakura bit her lower lip. The fox's head snapped up at the accusation.

"I never killed any—!"

"Shut up, scum," Itachi snapped, effectively making Naruto try to shrink away. A servant quickly ran down to Naruto and gagged him. The fox flailed around, but failed in the end. Now he could say nothing.

Itachi then gestured to one of the servants standing behind him and he nodded, scurrying away. The older Uchiha leaned his elbow onto the armrest on his chair and placed his cheek onto his relaxed fist. He gazed at Naruto with a slight smile, though no one noticed it.

Minutes later, two servants walked out with a stretcher with a cloth covering it. Something, or rather, _someone_ was under it. They looked at Itachi for further instructions. When he nodded, they slowly pulled off half the cloth.

A symphony of gasps and shrieks split the air.

Lying on the stretcher was a person so mutilated, you really couldn't tell _who_ it was. His face was completely destroyed and dried blood was everywhere.

A few people fainted or ran out to throw up. Naruto wrinkled his nose as the overwhelming smell of death invaded his senses. Sakura furrowed her eyebrows at the corpse and clenched her hands together tightly. Iruka looked away from the victim after a while. Kakashi had merely closed his eyes while Sasuke's jaw tightened and he formed fists under his long sleeves.

"See the evidence? There are also two witnesses," Itachi jerked his head again and two servants stepped out from the crowd.

The two of them looked very reluctant, standing there with their eyes on the floor and their backs hunched over.

"Y-Yes, we… We both saw Naruto murder this man… It… It was so gory and disgusting that we nearly didn't see him…"

Itachi smirked. "Tell us more about what happened."

"It was… yesterday night. Both of us were patrolling the hallways to make… make sure we had no infiltrators… We suddenly h-heard a savage growl and scream that followed afterwards. Both of us quickly ran toward the source of the noise…" he paused and swallowed thickly.

"By the time we got there, all that was left was his mangled body," the other man picked up, "Naruto didn't notice us... He was covered in blood and he looked so feral… Everything… Everything was covered in blood. We left immediately…"

"I see," Itachi said. "There are already other servants cleaning up the mess there…" he closed his eyes and sighed, sitting up straight again. "I am sorry to have this happen," he apologized to the entire crowd. He opened his eyes and waved the two servants away. The corpse was taken away as well.

The room was eerily silent as everyone stared and grimaced at Naruto, now a supposed murderer.

"Naruto," the Uchiha addressed him.

Wide, fear-filled eyes looked up. That man… he was so destroyed…

"The standard punishment for murder is execution… But, however tainted my judgment is, I cannot do that. Despite how I feel, you've grown on me, and I can't bear to take away your life," Itachi glanced quickly to Sasuke to see his reaction. His younger brother was infuriated. "I am banishing you from the Uchiha palace. You are not to ever come within a kilometer radius of this palace," he announced.

Complaints immediately arose. "That's not fair! He's a killer! Kill him! Kill the monster!"

Sasuke growled and tried to storm out over to Itachi and punch him in the face. He had no right in doing such a thing! He knew Naruto would never kill. He knew those two 'witnesses' were false. He knew this was all an act and he had succeeded in brainwashing everyone.

Just when he was about to burst out, Kakashi placed his hand on his shoulder. _"Don't_,_"_ his glare indicated.

The younger Uchiha gritted his teeth and whispered to his teacher vehemently. "He's being exiled from here! This isn't fair! None of this should happen! What will he gain from this? Nothing! Let me go! Let me go right now and—!"

He cast a glance toward Iruka and the man nodded. Kakashi's brow furrowed as he grabbed a cloth from his sleeve and covered Sasuke's mouth and nose with it. Iruka quickly walked toward Sakura and did the same. They tried to get out of their grips, but couldn't. Within seconds, Sasuke and Sakura were limp in their arms.

Quietly, they slipped out from the crowd. Everyone was too heated and angry to notice that they had walked out. But Itachi noticed.

However, Naruto didn't notice. He only stared at Itachi with unblinking eyes.

Was it really happening to him? This 'crime' he did? It wasn't possible. All lies, all lies, but why were they listening to him? Why did they believe him? The servants whom were well acquainted with him should know his true nature. Naruto would _never_ do something like this. But here he was, and they believed Itachi.

Naruto turned his head to see if Sasuke and Sakura were there. No one. He scanned the infuriated crowd for Kakashi and Iruka. No one. The fox began to panic, but before he could, Itachi slammed his hand onto the armrest.

"Silence! This is my final decision! No one can change it!"

The crowd shuffled about, scared. They had never seen Itachi act so angry.

The man stood up, his robes flowing around him. Gracefully, he swept over to Naruto and leaned down, his left hand caressing his cheek. Naruto jerked away, but was held in place by Itachi's right hand.

"No one's here to save you, Naruto… Do you know why?" he whispered into his ear. "Because you're of no use… You've already finished your task, now you are no use at all. Just another toy to throw away… You understand, don't you? I'm sparing your life right now… Be grateful."

Itachi stood up again, smirking slightly. "Dismissed. Take him away," he ordered, lifting a hand over his shoulder and retreating to his room.

Tears began to spill over his eyes as he was dragged away by the servants. Naruto received glares from the servants, and a few even spat on him. His gag kept him from sobbing out loud, but he was shaking so hard.

_It's not true,_ he thought to himself as he was roughly yanked along. _I'm not useless! Damnit, I don't… I don't want to be taken away!_

---

"… Are they okay?"

Kakashi looked up from Sasuke and glanced at the door. Iruka stood there, his face filled with worry.

"Yeah. And Sakura?" he replied.

"She's fine."

"Good. They would have caused too much commotion out there. Someone could have gotten hurt," Kakashi returned to staring at Sasuke's unconscious figure. "How is Naruto?"

"Itachi didn't execute him. Right about now, he should be being thrown out into the streets…" Iruka's eyebrows furrowed together.

"Jiraiya has been informed of this, right?"

"Yes. He should be picking Naruto up right about now," the younger man sighed.

"Make sure Sakura hasn't woken up yet. That would cause problems," Kakashi said, leaning back in the chair and crossing his arms.

Iruka bowed slightly and left, closing the doors quietly behind him.

---

Naruto growled loudly as he was roughly shoved onto the floor. The two servants who were carrying him hastily ripped off the chains that bound his arms and legs before yanking out the gag from his mouth. They glared at him one last time before retreating into the Uchiha palace.

He sat up blearily and rubbed his wrists and ankles, already red and raw from the chains. A heavy sigh escaped his lips as he felt the pain recede and the wounds heal. His hair flew in all sorts of directions as he shook his head to get the dust and dirt out of it.

His eyes grew wide when he noticed that the moonlight was being blocked out by something. Actually, some_one_.

"Hey, kid, long time no see, eh?"

"Ero-sennin? What are you doing here so late at night?" his anger vaporizing, only to be replaced with puzzlement.

The man scoffed a bit and gave him a displeased look. "Saving your sorry backside, that's what. Come on, kid, before you get killed," he said and turned away, not seeming to care if he followed or not.

Naruto scrambled up and tailed after him hurriedly.

"Where are we going, Ero-sennin?" the fox asked, somewhat apprehensively. He didn't recognize these streets too well, though they gave him a strange sense of déjà vu.

"Just follow me for now," the white-haired man glanced at him. "You should remember the place by now."

His stabastardnt only made the blond even more confused, but he kept his mouth shut.

Every now and then, Jiraiya would glance at Naruto, to see if he was showing any signs of remembering the place. He could tell that Naruto's memories had been returning. His face was blank, but showed sparks of recognition. When they reached the shabby building, Naruto swallowed uneasily and followed Jiraiya in.

It took his eyes a while to adjust to the darkness of the room. His eyebrows wrinkled when he saw the two in the room.

"Tsunade-baa-chan?" he stopped and looked at the other woman. He knew this person, but he didn't remember ever meeting her before. No, that was a lie; he remembered meeting her, but… Why didn't it seem like he really knew her? "Shizune-nee-chan?"

He was thrown forward with a hearty thump on his back.

"Good job, kid. So you _have_ regained some of your memories…" Jiraiya grinned at him.

"What… What do you mean?" Naruto stuttered as he was ushered to a chair and shoved down.

The man took a seat next to Tsunade, facing the fox.

"What is all this? Why do I remember this place? Why do I know Shizune-nee-chan? Why am I here? Why—"

"Naruto, we have to tell you something…" Jiraiya interrupted his rant, his cheerfulness replaced with solemnness.

He quieted, watching their expressions carefully. He didn't understand any of this…

"You're human," Tsunade stated bluntly.

"What?" he gasped, his voice barely above a whisper.

At this point, Shizune stood up and went to an obscure corner in the room. The sound of rustling paper announced the fact that she was rummaging through some documents and scrolls. Naruto was far too shocked to notice that fact though.

"You're human, Naruto," Jiraiya reinforced the information.

"How? But I—I'm a humanoid pet! That's how I was raised! I lived like one! I_am_ one!" he stammered, denying the new data. He pulled on his ears and exclaimed, "No _human_ has ears like this! And they certainly don't have tails!"

"Naruto! Naruto, calm down!" Tsunade stood up and reached over the table so that she touched his face. "Listen, we know you don't believe us, but it's true."

Shizune had walked over to the table again and set down several scrolls, rolling them open for Naruto to see. Tsunade sat back down and motioned to the scrolls.

"These are our records from years back. I would let you read them all, but I think explaining it all to you would be better," the woman said.

He nodded slowly, glancing at the dates and occasions that were written down on the scrolls.

"Have you heard of 'Kyuubi'?" Jiraiya asked him softly.

"Kyuubi?" Naruto wracked his brain for a small recollection of that. "Yes… I think I know. Isn't that one of the breeds I'm supposed to be?"

"No," he said, causing Naruto to frown. "Kyuubi isn't your breed. It is what is inside of you. It is true that the Kyuubi breed is a true breed in humanoid pets, but the Kyuubi we are speaking of is a demon."

"Demon…" the blond repeated incredulously. "I have a demon inside of me?"

"Yes," Tsunade picked up the explanation. "Do you remember twelve or thirteen years ago, when the villagers of Konoha constantly called you names and beat you?"

Naruto nodded. He _did_ remember now, since he recovered some memories.

"They beat you up because of that. Because of Kyuubi."

"Why?"

"Because it was Kyuubi who nearly killed Konoha," Shizune spoke up, finally.

Blue eyes dilated as he heard that. "Killed?"

Tsunade nodded. "Do you realize, Naruto, the power you hold right now? Do you know of Konoha's secrets? Of the powers some royal family holds? Of the Uchiha power, or Nara powers? Or Yamanaka powers?"

He shook his head. All those names she listed out. He knew them.

"All the royal families, Inuzuka, Hyuuga, Akimichi, Aburame, Haruno, and the ones I listed out beforehand, have their own unique abilities. These were kept secret after the wars that were waged many years ago. Since there is no need for them now, the current generation is not informed of this," the woman glanced at Jiraiya.

"Konoha believed that the reason for many wars that have broken out is because of the special powers the royal families hold. Many other villages and countries strive to have such powers, so they constantly tried to either abduct or kill such members of the families. Since we have kept it a secret, no wars have been started," Jiraiya gazed at Naruto with a firm look. "That is why none of your friends have told you about this, and why you don't know. Because if we told this generation, there will be no guarantees that it will _stay_ in the village. It may leak out, and it would be very bad. The wars would start all over again, and we do not wish for anything but for peace."

"With that set in mind, we will explain to you how you are here and why you are human…" Tsunade said, somewhat tiredly. "Sixteen years ago, a demon fox named Kyuubi monopolized Konoha. With such ferocity and power he waged, the entire village was nearly destroyed…" she trailed off.

Jiraiya cleared his throat to catch Naruto's attention. "I'm going to assume you are aware of our main royal family? The one which governs and rules Konoha? Or rather, the person who governs and rules Konoha?"

"Sarutobi-sama?"

"Yes, or so Konoha affectionately nicknames him 'Sandaime.' We used to have another ruler, whom we called 'Yondaime,'" the white-haired man told him.

"What happened to him?"

"He died," he said frankly. "He died sealing Kyuubi into you, Naruto."

His mouth hung open in shock. "D-Died? Sealing Kyuubi into me?"

"Yes. Because of the danger Kyuubi posed to Konoha, the Fourth sealed the demon into you, hoping that the village would be safe. And it was. He died sealing Kyuubi though, hoping that the villagers would see you as their savior. You had been chosen to save the village. Without you, Naruto, the village would be completely destroyed."

"However," the blonde woman interjected, "the villagers did _not_ see you as such. They saw you as the one who killed the Fourth. And so they scorned you. They hated you. And they beat you for it. For something you never did, they hated you. They also hated you because you were a 'freak.' You looked different from everyone else. They knew you were human, but you didn't _look _human."

"You were very young when Kyuubi was sealed into you. The sealing techniques—even the best—that Konoha possessed were very primitive back then," Shizune began. "Somehow, part of you and Kyuubi merged. You gained some fox-like attributes. Somewhere between the point of your birth and your sealing, your human ears disappeared, only to be replaced with fox ears, higher up on your scalp. This is also why you have a tail and whisker marks on your face."

There was a short silence in order for all the information to soak in. It was a lot to listen to and a lot to sift through as well.

"After the death of the Fourth, the Third resumed his position as our leader again. He assigned us, Jiraiya, Shizune, Kakashi, Iruka, me, and some other undercover people, to keep you safe. He knew that the villagers may try to kill you, so for years we watched you and kept you safe. He didn't want the villagers to know that we were protecting you, in case they decided to kill _us_ as well. So we kept it a secret… We were doing a great job, until one year…"

Here, Shizune leaned over the table and pointed at a spot on one of the scrolls, indicating one of the dates. "When you were around the age of three or four, we discovered that there was a secret organization called 'Akatsuki' who searched for demons such as Kyuubi in order to gain control over many major countries. We knew that it was no longer safe for you to roam the streets. Therefore, we took you in for several years."

"At the age of eight, we introduced you to Uchiha Sasuke and Haruno Sakura," Jiraiya continued. "Sasuke was introduced to you because of the Uchiha massacre. Kakashi and Iruka were part of the Uchiha's staff, so to speak, when it happened. Kakashi was with Sasuke when it happened. He didn't know what to do, exactly, so he brought him here. I'm pretty sure you have regained your first meeting with Sasuke, correct?"

Tsunade didn't let him answer when she pushed on, "This was when we realized that Uchiha Itachi had ulterior motives towards Sasuke. It wasn't until a few months later when we realized that Itachi was part of Akatsuki as well. That was when we realized we needed to do _something_ in order to get rid of that notorious group. Although Jiraiya, Kakashi, Iruka, Shizune, and I have _some_ powers, we aren't enough to defeat the group by ourselves. This is the reason why Haruno Sakura was introduced.

"With Kyuubi's powers, along with the Uchiha and Haruno bloodlines, we were going to train all three of you in order to become powerful. It was a long shot, since all of you were so young, but the next generation is always better than the last. And we had no choice. The Haruno and Uchiha families contain the most powerful abilities, and Sasuke and Sakura were the only two heirs. We were aware that it wasn't quite ethical to go around stealing kids like that, but there was no other option. The Third had approved of our plans, but the families were kept in the dark."

Naruto's head spun with too much information but it didn't stop when Jiraiya went ahead with the story, "Our training with you three was very successful, but problems arose. Akatsuki had found out where you were hiding at for so long, and we were forced to hide you away again. If we had sent you to another country, we had no doubt that they would try to use you, and we didn't want that. At the time, humanoid pets were very popular among the rich, and we resorted to that. We didn't want to do something like that to you, fearing that you might have fallen into the hands of a bad owner, but Naruto, forgive us, we had no choice…

"Tsunade was in charge of erasing and replacing some of your memories, so that you would act like the animal you were supposed to be. As the time passed, villagers eventually forgot about you, thinking that you had died. But because of the strong friendship you shared with Sasuke and Sakura, we had to remove their memories as well, lest they interrogate us or try to look for you, thus rendering our plans useless…

"Kakashi was the one who made up your false documents and information. The Uzumaki breed was made up by us. You were shipped to one of the most famous pet shops, to ensure that you would at least be purchased by a wealthy owner… We paid the owner of the shop to make sure you were sold to a reasonable owner and thankfully, he kept his word."

Shizune sighed a bit. "We warded Itachi off for a good five years until Sasuke turned thirteen. Before that, he had received word of your whereabouts. That is why he brought Sasuke to that particular pet-shop. It _may_ have been coincidental, but Sasuke actually chose _you_ to be his pet. Akatsuki is acting up right now, but we are not sure why they waited for three years, when they knew they had Kyuubi right under their nose since you were thirteen."

"We're aware that all three of you are regaining your memories, because my sealing technique was not quite complete. It was going to last only a maximum of four years, thus what is happening now. The ideal thing that we wanted to happen was for the memories to be sealed forever, so that there wouldn't be any complications later on, but that didn't work out well. After the seal, the three of you were never meant to meet up again…" Tsunade said. "We had decided that it was too dangerous to try and recruit you three again to defeat Akatsuki. We didn't want to endanger you three…"

And so they stopped talking. They observed Naruto for a long time as the boy digested the material.

"Is there anything you would like to ask us?" Tsuande inquired.

"… My name, Uzumaki Naruto, that _is_ my name, isn't it?"

"Yes. That's your given name," she answered.

"Then how did Sasuke know of it? If his memories were erased, he shouldn't have remembered my name, right?"

The blonde smiled slightly. "When we introduced you to Sasuke, we never told him that you were human. Perhaps it was only a childish crush back then, but we noticed that he developed some feelings toward you. It may have been because of your deep relationship with Sasuke that kept some memories clinging to him. My memory seal wasn't too strong, so some information might have been retained by him. This could also explain why he chose you to be his pet. Because his subconscious remembered you…"

_So even before… He liked me?_ Naruto thought to himself. "But if… You said earlier that we weren't supposed to meet up again… Then what does this mean?"

"It means that we will ask you again if you want to help us defeat Akatsuki…" Jiriaya answered.

"We were asked before?" the blond raised a brow.

"Yes, but that was eight years ago, and you were still young. We're going to give you the choice again, since this has happened."

'_This' meaning the regaining of our memories and our reunion_, Nartuo realized. "So… eight years ago, we all answered 'yes' in joining forces to get rid of Akatsuki?"

The three adults nodded.

"Tsunade-baa-chan," Naruto began softly, "Is there a reason to why I was able to learn the lessons Iruka-sensei taught me so quickly? And talking as well?"

"Before your memories were sealed, Iruka had already begun his lessons. You were also able to speak. I was careful not to completely seal those memories, so that you could bring them back up if needed, and if you had a kind owner who would even consider educating you. Fortunately for you, you _did_ have a kind owner. So the reason for your unnaturally fast learning is because of my partial sealing.

"Although it wasn't meant for us to meet up again, I also partially sealed Sasuke and Sakura's previous lessons on controlling and using their abilities, so that if we ever had to teach them again, it would be faster…"

Jiraiya cleared his throat again.

"Naruto, there is one last thing we need to tell you. It's about Sasuke."


	14. Because I Need to Protect You

**Beta-read by Nadramon.**

---

The night had gone on and after hours of explaining and talking, questioning and answering, dawn finally claimed its time. And so, clear strands of light crept onto the ground and clung onto various surfaces. The birds had roused a few hours ago but now the entire orchestra had begun.

Oblivious of all the wonderful things happening outside Jiriaya, Tsunade, Shizune, and Naruto continued to discuss. Several times, whilst explaining to Naruto about Sasuke's curse mark and Orochimaru, the three adults had to hold him down, so that he wouldn't rush out to find Sasuke.

They explained to him that in order not to make Itachi suspicious Naruto had to keep away from Sasuke and Sakura, at least for a little while. Though they weren't certain if Itachi knew of their links and motives towards him Tsunade had said that it would be better to be safe than sorry. Making Itachi doubt Sasuke and Sakura's ignorance about their past may make him take action earlier than planned thus they wouldn't have time to prepare.

"Aren't you going to tell Sasuke and Sakura-chan about this as well?" the boy had interrogated.

"Yes, yes, we are. But for now we have to keep low. If we blow our cover now it'll be useless," Jiraiya then tiredly answered.

Back in present time they were conferring about Naruto's situation. He was still enraged at Orochimaru and worried about Sasuke and Sakura's well being but since his memories were still slightly suppressed he couldn't do much.

"Baa-chan, can't you remove the seal you gave me then?" the blond frowned and leaned back in his chair.

"Brat, if I knew how we wouldn't still be here talking. The seal, as we have explained beforehand, was very unstable and incomplete… Because of the way I placed it on you it's still a one-way seal. Meaning I can only place it on you but not remove it," Tsunade answered, equally frustrated.

"Then now what?" he huffed, glaring at the table heatedly.

"We'll just have to jog your memories then. Since the seal is already wearing off, if I train you again, you should have no problem regaining your abilities again," Jiraiya said, glancing between the two of them. _Both light-haired with a terrible temper_… he contemplated. "You want to keep Sasuke and Sakura safe from Itachi and Akatsuki, correct?"

Naruto became lively again. "Yeah!" he nodded vigorously. "I don't want them to get hurt…"

"Okay, kid. We'll start training in a couple of hours. Go get some sleep for now."

His fox ears twitched irritably as he was ushered away to another room.

---

Iruka was dozing on the side of the wall. His head drooped precariously before he jerked awake and uncrossed his arms, slightly disoriented. He covered up his yawn and glanced over at the futon in front of him.

Sakura was still asleep from yesterday's sedatives. Satisfied with her condition the man stood up and smoothed out his robes. Quietly, he walked over to a window and opened it, wincing slightly as the wooden frame creaked. Outside, the weather was wonderful. It was still early morning and the temperature wasn't at either end of the extremes yet.

A small smile framed his face as Iruka smiled lightly.

In Kakashi's room a similar play was unfolding.

The masked man crossed the room to check Sasuke. The boy mumbled something incoherent, his eyebrows knit. Kakashi's face, or what was visible, stayed blank as he caught a barely audible "Naruto…" as Sasuke flung an arm over his eyes.

Shuffling to a low cabinet, Kakashi rummaged through the shelves looking past vials and bottles all holding various powders and liquids. Tsunade and Shizune's contributions.

After some clinking and moving, the silver-haired man finally found what he was looking for and drew his arm out. Within his palm were two identical bottles. The porcelain was decorated with blue spirals, vines, and flowers. A cork stopper was plugged up at the top.

He stared thoughtfully at the bottles, rubbing the smooth sides together causing them to make a slight screeching sound. Carefully, he tucked the two bottles up his sleeves and silently left the room.

---

"Kid. Hey, kid, wake up. It's time for us to go training now," the white-haired man prodded the sleeping figure.

"Nn… Just a little longer…" Naruto rolled over, trying to avoid the jabbing finger.

"Three seconds before I kick you out of the futon."

A furry, orange ear twitched slightly.

"Three."

A small whimper.

"Two and a half."

A soft rustling of the sheets.

"Two."

A yawn.

"One."

A yelp and a 'thud' as Jiraiya roughly yanked the futon from underneath Naruto, causing the boy to fall out and land in a heap on the floor.

"I thought you were joking!" he whined, rubbing his back.

"I never joke. Hurry up so we can get to training already," Jiraiya ordered, walking out of the room.

And so, grumbling and complaining, Naruto followed him out.

They walked for some distance before the man stopped and waved his arm around indicating a large, empty field. It was more like a clearing with trees creating a natural border around it.

"This is where you three used to play and train," he told Naruto briefly before motioning him over.

Obediently, Naruto trotted over to him.

"Alright, Naruto. Before your memory was erased I only trained you to use your own powers. I never made you use Kyuubi's power so I guess I'll have to teach you that for right now," he looked at him with slightly narrowed eyes. "Actually," Jiraiya said, changing his mind, "let's see if you accidentally used Kyuubi's power in the past years. Take off your robes."

"What?" Naruto raised an eyebrow and tugged on his robes even closer.

"Look, I need to see your stomach, where the seal is at," the man said, looking displeased with having to make Naruto strip.

The blond's lower lip stuck out as he frowned. "Isn't there another way?"

"Not that I know of. Are we going to have to stand here for about three decades?"

There was more grumbling as Naruto reluctantly pulled off his obi and parted his robes just enough for Jiraiya to inspect his stomach. He held back laughs as the man poked in.

"Hm… It looks like you _have_ activated Kyuubi's powers… Get your robes back on," Jiraiya said absentmindedly as he stared at the forest around them thoughtfully.

Naruto was about to yell something random at the man after several minutes of silence but he never got the chance.

"You're lucky, kid," Jiraiya stated, breaking the quietness. "Your powers are rather similar to mine. I think I'll be able to teach you a thing or two," he nodded slightly, waved him over to another part of the clearing and motioned for him to follow.

"Alright, here's how we're going to do it. I'm going to teach you how to control your powers. I need you to know how to take out that power and use it consciously," Jiraiya said as they continued walking.

Soon, the sound of moving water was picked up by Naruto's keen ears.

"You're going to walk on water."

---

"Sasuke," Kakashi nudged Sasuke on the shoulder gently. Resting next to the futon was a single porcelain vial. He had given the other one to Iruka. He was probably trying to wake up Sakura at the moment as well.

"Sasuke, wake up," the silver-haired repeated, shaking his shoulder more roughly.

Finally, after a few more seconds and trying to wake the drugged Uchiha, he woke up groggily. His eyes were clouded over with disorientation when Kakashi began to speak.

"I'm going to give you more medicine right now. It'll make you feel horrendous, but it's for precautions. We'll explain everything to you after the effects wear off. Got it?" he asked quickly, already uncorking the vial.

Sasuke's version of the speech was blurred and warbled, as if he was hearing it from underwater. Nevertheless, he nodded. Faintly, he felt himself getting lifted up and opened his mouth a bit as Kakashi pressed the cool mouth of the vial against his.

He tilted it and shook the white, powdery substance out and into the waiting mouth. The powder immediately mixed with Sasuke's saliva and dissolved. A spasm facial muscles erupted once Sasuke tasted how bitter and revolting the thing was.

Kakashi frowned behind his mask and quickly poured in the rest of the powder before shoving the Uchiha's chin up, thus preventing him from spitting the stuff out. The vial was thrown aside as Kakashi pressed harder against Sasuke's chin. The boy began to struggle for a while before growing limp.

"Swallowed it yet?" he asked, releasing his fierce hold on him.

Grudgingly Sasuke nodded, looking much more awake and murderous than he was three seconds before.

"Within the next three hours, you'll get a fever and rashes over your body. We don't want Itachi to suspect us so by taking you two out of commission we'll keep you safe," the masked man told him quietly, placing him back on the futon. He picked up the discarded vial and stood up. "Sorry about making you feel like you're about to die but if Itachi doesn't believe us it won't work. You'll have to keep Naruto safe, right?" he added on for emphasis.

From the point when Kakashi said "taking you two out of commission" he had thought that it was him and Naruto, not some other person, who he now concluded was Sakura. "Naruto… where is he?"

Kakashi glanced at him with his one visible eye and quickly exited the room, leaving Sasuke in silence.

Sasuke didn't get a chance to call him back because the drugs quickly kicked in and he passed out, sweat already forming on his forehead.

---

"Hm…" Jiraiya hummed. "You learn pretty fast, kid." He tapped his pipe against the grassy floor, dumping out the ashes onto the grass. "After falling into the river approximately 283 times, you're fairly proficient at it."

Whether he was using extreme sarcasm or not, Naruto really, really couldn't tell. He was just happy that he wasn't getting swept away by the strong currents of the river. For the two hundred eighty fourth time in only a few hours.

It was a harrowing experience, being told that he simply had to walk on water.

_Well, easier said than done_, Naruto decided immediately. Before they actually got to the river, Jiraiya had pleasantly told him that the river had very strong currents and would probably drown him if he didn't do it right.

With words and hand gestures, the perverted man gave him a quick walk-through. Naruto, however smart, was not able to absorb the lesson quickly. Finally, in the end Jiraiya shrugged and said it was merely a task learned through experience and that there was no real help he could provide.

Jiraiya shoved him into the river with a light-hearted "Good luck and don't die!" By all means the man wasn't trying to kill the boy but had hoped that if presented with a life-or-death situation, he would subconsciously draw on his power. The first trial didn't work.

It was fortunate for both Jiraiya and Naruto that just a little further down the river there were a few large branches that hung near the river. It decreased the chances of Naruto drowning but it was still possible.

But after about several hours and a good soaking, Naruto had gotten the task down pat.

"Alright, get back here, kid," he beckoned, putting away his pipe and waving his hand lazily. Naruto complied tiredly. Once he came back to solid ground, he carefully lowered his sore body onto the grass and groaned. The man chuckled lightly before assuring him with a, "Don't worry, brat, it'll only get harder from this point on."

At that, Naruto groaned again and rolled over, covering his eyes with his hands.

"Come on, Naruto. We're going to find a place to sleep at," he stood up and brushed off his robes.

Without removing his hands from his face, the blond mumbled, "I thought we were going back to the hideout place…"

"Can't stay there all the time. We can't be leeching off there forever…"

"Sure we can!"

Jiraiya raised an eyebrow at him. "We'll need to find a hotel to stay at for the duration of your training."

The blond grumbled and complained some more, but shook himself dry and trotted after Jiraiya.

"Hey, hey! Ero-sennin!" he bantered on, ignoring the scathing look Jiraiya shot at him. "What are you going to teach me next, now that I know how to control my abilities?"

"Hmmm… How does a technique that Yondaime created sound?"

---

"Itachi-sama, I'm afraid that Sasuke caught something terrible. And because of her close proximity with him, Sakura also got it. They might be out of it for at least a week. I hope that it will not cause any trouble for you or any of your plans," Kakashi bowed low as he brought forth the bad news.

The dark-haired man feigned a scowl as he listened. "That is bothersome news, Kakashi. How are they faring then?"

"Both have rashes and fevers."

"I would like to see them then, just to make sure that they are fine. I dislike it when my little brother is in discomfort. And his wife as well," Itachi said with an air of absolute royalty.

Kakashi's face stayed neutral even though he knew his mask would cover for it. "Yes, sir."

When they had reached the room, Itachi quickly went in, not waiting for Kakashi. He found Sasuke writhing in his futon, the blankets thrown off from his thrashing. He did bear a terrible rash and the unnatural blush on his face was evidence enough of his fever. But that wasn't enough for Itachi.

"Sasuke-kun… How terrible you must feel right now…" he strolled over to his brother slowly and knelt down. He grabbed hold of his wide sleeve and held it back as he touched Sasuke's heated skin, just to confirm that the fever was not an illusion.

Sasuke's eyes opened momentarily, obviously clouded over and completely unfocused. It took him a good three seconds before he realized he was staring straight into his brother's face.

The younger Uchiha lifted up his left hand weakly to yank his brother's hand off his face, but in his state he couldn't and only managed to gape at him dumbly.

"Poor Sasuke-kun…" Itachi crooned, frowning a bit before standing up again. He turned around and faced Kakashi. "Sakura-chan is the same?"

The silver-haired man nodded briefly. "Iruka-sensei is taking care of her right now."

"I see… Please inform me when they recover, Kakashi-san," the Uchiha commanded briefly before exiting the room.

He bowed at him and closed the doors quietly.

_If only time permitted, then we could have picked up new medicines for this false sickness… Then there would have been a cure. It makes me feel so bad to make them suffer so much, just to keep them safe from Itachi's wrath and suspicion._

---

A week had passed quickly and sufferably for Sasuke and Sakura. It was equally as devastating to poor Naruto who had to undergo strict regimental training. Jiraiya was not lenient at all with him. No matter how much of a hard working he was, torture in disguise was still torture in disguise.

Standing in the midst of a very demolished area, Naruto panted and fell back down onto the floor. He stared at the sky defiantly, knowing that Jiraiya would call him back up on his feet in the matter of seconds. He was tired and exhausted. Even with the thought of Sasuke and Sakura driving him on, he was still human and needed rest. But he just didn't understand why Rasengan had to be learned so quickly.

"Kid!" the man barked immediately.

"I know, I know!" Naruto sighed heavily, sitting upright. His hand was burned and cramped from all the practicing he was doing, and it was still no use. Not even the "secret techniques" that Jiraiya taught him helped. He stared at his violently twitching hand.

"Naruto, come on, get u—" the perverted man walked over to him.

"Ero-sennin?" the blond cut him off abruptly.

The quietness and the tone of the boy's speech made Jiraiya's irritation fade.

"Why do I have to learn this technique so quickly? Is something going to happen to them?"

"We're not sure kid. But you'll have to keep trying, just in case," he replied gently.

Naruto's expression reverted back to his childish and cheerful demeanor. "Yeah! Let's start training again!" he shouted as he struggled to stand back up, trying to hide his wince as his hands scraped across the rough ground.

Jiraiya grinned a bit at the boy before averting his gaze to the sky, hoping not to see the hawk that brought him bad news each time he flew by. He wasn't there. The man sighed in relief and returned to the shade.

---

"So how is everything going so far? According to the plans?" Kisame's voice rumbled throughout the room.

"Better, actually. Sasuke and Sakura are sick right now, which makes it that much easier to work with. We won't have to worry about interruptions. I'm sure you've found their location by now?"

"They've been changing hotels everyday, but I've managed to pin them down. They're just waiting for us now…" the sentence ended with a malicious chuckle.

"Shall we, then?" Itachi stood up and draped a black robe covered with vermillion clouds. A high collar of sorts obscured his face as he walked out of the room with Kisame following him, also donning a robe like his.

"Time to play…"

---

Meanwhile, inside of a hotel, Naruto had barely woken up, despite the fact that it was nearly noon. Jiraiya had told him that he could take a break that day and had left the room without telling him that morning.

He was currently staring out the window but he had not noticed the two shady figures that had entered the hotel and certainly did not notice the hawk that flew away once he spotted the two people

He was smiling. Very lightly, just smiling. No reason to smile, really, but he wasn't one to keep his face in a scowl, unlike a certain someone. His eyes were half-lidded although he was very much awake. His hands were folded neatly in his lap as he gazed out the window.

Seemingly serene atmosphere.

---

"Sakura, you're awake!" Iruka exclaimed as the girl sat up, looking terrible. No surprise since she was put into a false sickness for a week.

She wavered a bit in her sitting position before she regained control of her inner ear fluids and the world stopped spinning for her.

"Iruka-sensei," she slurred out, blinking a few times. The drugs were wearing off quickly.

The man smiled. "That must mean that Sasuke is also waking up."

---

"Feeling better, Sasuke?" Kakashi inquired as he helped Sasuke sit up.

"Great, thank you very much," Sasuke hissed out, very aware of what the man had done to him. His eyes narrowed.

Kakashi merely looked at him calmly. "We'll explain everything to you soon. Just know that you're safe for now." He held up a change of robes for Sasuke and a basin full of water.

He quickly washed his face and changed into clean robes.

"I'm glad you're not sick anymore," Kakashi said, half-jokingly.

When Sasuke opened his mouth to complain about his forced sickness the door slammed open and a flustered looking servant fell in. His breath was short as he quickly gave a short report.

"Kakashi-san! Bad news, Itachi is on the move! He's going after Naruto!"

He didn't even receive a chance to realize what was happening when Sasuke bolted from the futon and shoved him aside.

"Idiot!" Kakashi cursed under his breath.

---

Naruto was interrupted from his mindless activity when a knock was heard on the door.

"Yes, yes…" he said, getting up. _Ero-sennin must have forgotten something again…_ Naruto thought to himself as he 'unlocked' the door.

When he opened the door and saw who was standing there, he backed away, his ears flattening.

"Naruto-kun. How nice to see you again," Itachi drawled out pleasantly.

Blue eyes rested upon the large figure behind Itachi. He bared his teeth in an attempt to look more threatening. Neither of them were impressed.

"So," the blue man said nonchalantly, "should we shave off his leg so he won't escape? Or perhaps an arm?" He grinned to show rows of filed teeth. "Come on, brat."

Itachi stepped away so that the shark-like man could grab him. Naruto struggled against the hold, but he was held with a vice-grip. He was roughly dragged out into the hallway.

"Let me go!" he wailed, hoping that whatever they were trying to do, they wouldn't succeed.

Suddenly, a whirlwind of smoke and confusion spun around them. When the smoke cleared, a huge frog was standing in front of the hallway blocking them.

"Two against one? How unfair, Itachi," a familiar voice said smoothly. Jiraiya stepped out from behind the frog.

---

But while Naruto was trying to fight for his life, hotels in all of Konoha were being rudely disrupted. Patrons were shoved and pushed out of the way as Sasuke barged into the lobby and nearly bowled over the front desk. His interrogation to each and every receptionist did not help either.

His question was the same, "Has Naruto been here?"

And each time, the answer was the same, "N-No, Uchiha-sama!"

And each time he received the same answer, he did the same thing.

"Get out of my way!" and he would run out to investigate the next hotel.

---

Itachi looked at Jiraiya with a calm face. The frog had poofed away some time ago, and Naruto somehow squirreled his way back to his guardian.

"Give us the brat," the large man demanded.

"Silence, Kisame."

He did so with a scowl.

The Uchiha gracefully lifted up his right arm and held it, palm up. His hand and inquiring look made him appear as if he was asking Naruto if he was up for a dance. "Come, Naruto-kun."

"What do you want?" the blond hissed, his eyes narrowed at the two of them. He stood next to Jiraiya defiantly.

"Leave this to me, kid," the man pushed Naruto back and stepped forward.

"Not accepting Itachi-san's gracious offer?" Kisame took a step forward as well and reached for his sword.

Itachi swiftly slid arm to the side, so it blocked him. "My fight," he simply stated.

He was just about to activate his Sharingan when a hoarse cry was heard from the other end of the hallway.

"_Uchiha Itachi_!"

Everyone turned around to see Sasuke leaning on the wall, his eyes bright red.

"Sa—!" Naruto began, but was cut off when the heaviness of the situation crushed him.

"Itachi, I'm going to kill you!"

Sasuke lowered his head and grabbed his left wrist. Within moments, a bright blue light lit the hallway. Crackling electricity was being emitted from his palm. His eyes were filled with such unseen viciousness. His growl became a scream as he took a running start towards his brother.

The walls of the hotel were crushed and smashed away by the intensity of Chidori. Fine dust fell to the ground and followed Sasuke's motion for a few seconds as he rushed by furiously.

The shriek of electricity merged with Sasuke's own savage yell and for a moment, that was all that could be heard. Nothing more. Nothing more.

There was a gargantuan 'CRACK' as something impacted with something else. Then, silence.

Pure silence.

The dust finally settled and all that was left was a huge hole in the wall and blood on the floor.

Itachi tightened his hand. The sound of a bone breaking even further could be heard.

Sasuke's eyes dilated in pain as he opened his mouth and let out a blood curdling scream.

Before anyone could have reacted, Itachi had shoved Sasuke against the wall down the hall and pinned him up by his neck. Soft gurgling sounds could be heard as Itachi shoved him up the wall even further until his feet no longer touched the ground.

Naruto's eyes widened at the scene.

"You lack hatred," Itachi said in an even voice even as he brought out Mangenkyou.

The younger Uchiha's eyes were wide for several seconds before he went limp.

Within those few seconds, Sasuke was forced to relive nightmares once more.

Death, blood, murder, killing, blank eyes, relatives trying to protect each other, screams, fights, defenses being shattered, cut, stabbed, dying, dead, cold, gone. All that terribleness. Every last scene. Every last memory. Ever last bit of fear and hatred. All in a few seconds.

His body slumped against the wall as he fell unconscious.

"Kisame, come," Itachi released his brother's body, allowing him to fall. He started running.

Naruto heard Jiraiya curse and make a few hand signs before the entire building began to pulsate and morph. Flesh started to gurgle and bubble from the walls until everything was covered in soft, pink muscle.

"There's no way they can escape this technique," Jiraiya boasted but his eyebrows furrowed in concentration. Naruto had taken a step forward to Sasuke, who was being absorbed by the walls.

Sweat dripped down the side of the man's face as he suddenly realized that the flesh wasn't closing in fast enough.

The technique was quickening in speed even as Itachi and Kisame stomped on soft muscle. The exit was only several meters away from them, and they were running out of time. Suddenly, Itachi drew out Mangenkyou again and they escaped.

Jiraiya cursed loudly when something burned through the barrier. The technique was released and Naruto caught Sasuke as he fell from the wall.

"Sasuke!" he cried, gingerly holding the body. His eyes were wide as he gently shook him, trying to wake him up but to no avail.

"They got away," Jiraiya said quietly, walking up behind the blond.

Naruto looked up, his gaze tinged with anger. His mouth was twisted into a scowl as he looked at where the two had escaped from. Black flames latched onto the sides of still-burning wood.

They escaped.

And Sasuke was unconscious.

---

"Hurry up, okay, Naruto?" Jiraiya said to him as the blond faced the door leading to Sasuke's room.

He nodded slightly before sliding it open. Inside, it was dark and cool. Everything appeared normal, except for the smell of anesthesia. Medical supplies were neatly arranged by the side of the wall.

Quietly, Naruto walked over to the still figure in the middle of the room. He knelt down and gazed at the smooth face.

After Itachi and Kisame had escaped, Sasuke was taken to Tsunade for treatment, and Naruto was spirited away by Jiraiya. They doubted that the two would attack so quickly but it was better to be safe than sorry. Whilst they were in hiding, Iruka was responsible for keeping Sakura safe and unaware of the situation. If she found out it would have surely been something close to a disaster. Their cover would be blown.

But several days passed and not even the smallest whisper concerning Uchiha Itachi was heard. Sasuke was carefully transported back to the Uchiha Palace where Tsunade and Sakura kept him healthy.

Meanwhile, Jiraiya had been discussing the matters of Akatsuki and other dangers that might arise if Sasuke, Sakura, and Naruto weren't properly trained. They were all vulnerable, and without proper teaching and training it would be useless.

Tsunade had agreed to take on the responsibility of teaching and watching over Sakura, saying that she had good control over her abilities and that it would be easy to teach her, especially when she was so eager to be able to protect her two friends.

Sasuke, on the other hand was to be trained by Kakashi. Since both had the advantage of Sharingan, it would be simpler if the arrangements were done so.

Jiraiya immediately agreed to train Naruto, seeing that his abilities matched his own. But the probability of Akatsuki attacking them before the training was done was too risky.

The final decision was for them to leave the village and train in hiding, to ensure uninterrupted training. Naruto was reluctant to part with Sasuke and Sakura, but seeing that there was no other way, he accepted it.

They had to leave soon now, before the sun completely set.

"Sasuke…" Naruto murmured, the familiar name hissing out. He reached down to touch his lover's cheek and smiled lightly knowing that he would heal quickly and be able to train.

His hand left the cool skin as he reached behind his neck and unclasped his collar. The same one Sasuke had given to him years ago. He had removed the bell a long time ago seeing that it was no help during training but now he had reattached it. With a small jingle Naruto placed the collar next to the sleeping Uchiha.

He leaned in close and lightly kissed the dry lips, knowing that it would be a while before he would feel that again. His tail swished gently as he nuzzled Sasuke's temple, inhaling in the scent indigenous to him.

"I'll miss you," he whispered and left the room.

---

"Hey brat, be careful…" Tsunade warned gently. Her brown eyes locked in on him in a motherly way as they stood at the borders of Konoha.

"Are you doubting my skills to protect him?" Jiraiya asked in mock pain.

The woman gave him a blank stare before turning her attention to Naruto again. "Here's a good luck charm for you then!" she said cheerfully, holding up a necklace. The small stone sparkled in the setting sun and she smiled at him.

"Ah… Thank you," he said softly, not exactly sure what to say. He gave her his trademark grin and tilted his head slightly.

"Yeah brat…" she kissed him on the forehead and put the necklace on. "Good luck."

Naruto softened his grin until it was a gentle smile. "I'll be careful. Don't worry."

"I'm trusting you, Jiraiya. If this brat doesn't come back in one piece, I'll make sure that you won't be in one piece either," Tsunade frowned deeply.

"Okay, okay…" he muttered. "It's getting late. We'd better go now. Come on, kid."

"Yeah… Bye, baa-chan!" he waved to her and disappeared into the darkness along with Jiraiya.

"Bye…"

---

**Interesting Fact: I don't know if anyone noticed this but before Chapter 13, I never referred to Naruto as a human. I never mentioned him as a "boy" but always "fox" or "blond". It was a nice illusion I set up isn't it? From Chapter 13, you will notice that I started calling him "boy" and "human" at one point. Just a small fact I thought would be interesting.**

**Also, I remember one of my earlier reviewers asked me if Naruto would ever "become fully human" and I had replied "No" because he never _became_ human. He had always been so. I just kept it a secret. XD **


	15. Ah! The Domino Effect!

**_WARNING_!: There _ARE_ manga spoilers in this fanfic _IN THIS CHAPTER_. If you don't want to have anything spoiled for you, _DO NOT READ_! Don't say I didn't warn you!**

**Beta-read by Nadramon.**

---

_Rustle._ A rush of moving leaves.

_Crack._ A snapping twig.

_Sss._ A hiss of a passing snake.

_Yip!_ A yelp.

_Yip!_ A cry for help.

A fox came barreling through the undergrowth of the forest. He was being pursued. This was not a simple game of Tag. This was a race for his life.

Browns and greens, colors of the nature, blurred past him. But they were only seen as greys, whites, and blacks. To this tiny creature, color did not truly matter. His eyes were accustomed to more acute visions. Color was unnecessary in this world of prey and predator.

But he was not old, merely a young pup. Where was his mother? That comforting warmth? Where is she?

The fox willed himself to run faster, farther. His eyes darted around the grey-black surroundings. Quickly, he sneaked a glance behind him. Where was he?

Where was the man who was chasing him, with that slender, curved bow? With his sharp, metal-tipped sticks? With his hungry gaze and snarling mouth? With that scent that told the fox of his hunger?

Nowhere to be found.

He kept running. There were no chances to take. Still, he looked behind him, his heart beating fast, desperately keeping him alive. Blood pulsed in his veins and arteries as if his heart was trying to squeeze in as many heartbeats as it could before he died.

_Thump_.

He rolled back as he crashed into something. Immediately, the dazed fox stumbled back up on his legs and looked around. That impact was not hard, though. It was soft and warm. Trees were not soft and warm. Rocks were not soft and warm.

Large, shining eyes located what appeared to be a large mountain of moving mass. A spiky mop of fur—no, not fur, it's too long to be fur—could be seen as the mountain continued to shift and move.

The young fox sniffed and snorted at the mountain. What a strange scent!

His discovery of the moving mountain made him temporarily forget that he was supposed to be running for his life. His breath came out ragged and torn as his tongue hung out limply.

This scent was similar to what he had learned as "human". Mother had always warned him to keep away from humans. But something else mingled with that human scent. The scent of a fox.

How peculiar.

"Nyaah, what crashed into me?"

The fox snarled and growled at the sudden sound. It had come from the moving mountain of human-fox scent. The rather high-pitched sounds that thing was making did not make any sense to the fox.

Naruto shook his head a few times before opening his eyes. There, bristled and wary, was a fox. He blinked. A fox? Oh, right… They were still in the forest.

"Hey there, little fox," Naruto grinned until he somewhat resembled the animal in question. He shifted until he was sitting on his bottom and his hands were placed on either side of his body.

_Rrrgghh_… Sharp teeth were still bared when Naruto moved. Was this human-fox scented thing going to harm him? But he did not seem dangerous…

"Don't worry, I'm not going to eat you. I think that would be sort of like cannibalism, really," the blond said cheerfully. His own fox ears twitched as a fly landed on it. Slowly, Naruto held out his hand for the fox to sniff.

Oh. What was this curious looking thing? It was so different from his own paw. The human-fox scented thing did not seem to be hungry. Hesitantly, the fox lowered his fur and lips. He was still wary of what was being offered to him.

It appeared to be attached to the weird thing… The fox took a step closer to Naruto. He snorted and backed away. Curiosity didn't allow him to back away for too long though. Soon, the fox was sniffing Naruto's hand and arm.

"See, I'm not going to hurt you," Naruto said softly, his voice growing deeper and less child-like.

There! What was that? A flash of movement. The fox backed away from the hand and trotted around Naruto's body. He was severely puzzled by what he found. There, sprouting from this human-fox scented thing, were three fox tails. They were larger than his entire body, but even the fox recognized what they were. How strange this thing was!

"Oh, my tails. I see you found them," the fox-demon container chuckled. He waggled one of his three tails in the direction of the fox.

The response was instantaneous. Short, sharp barks and growls emitted from the frightened fox. He was afraid of the suddenly writhing appendages.

"Oops, sorry about that." The tail stilled itself. "So what are you doing all the way over here, anyway? Kind of blind, aren't you? Crashing into me like that…"

What was he making all those weird noises for? The fox dropped his guard a bit once the tail stopped moving. The tone was gentle and kind, but he had no idea what the sounds were supposed to mean.

Suddenly, loud noises could be heard. From what Naruto could decipher, it sounded like a large man tramping through the forest and breaking almost everything in his path. The fox quickly hid behind him. The source of the noise quickly revealed himself to be a leaf-cluttered, wild-haired man equipped with a bow and arrows.

Naruto sat there, dumbfounded for several seconds before his brain whirred slowly. The man stared at him, completely stunned. His rough, labored breath filled the air as his chest heaved with much difficulty. He could not believe his eyes.

This—this thing… What was it? It looked human… But… Fox ears! A monster! The man's eyes dilated in fear but his body did not have the will to run away. His body stiffened.

Long seconds stretched between them before everything finally clicked in Naruto's mind. Well… Frightened fox running for his life plus a harried looking man with a bow and arrows should only mean one thing.

He donned on a ferociously mad expression. "Well, sir! I suppose you don't have anything better to do than to hunt down us innocent creatures!" Naruto exclaimed.

The man gasped. It spoke! The human with fox ears spoke!

"How happy would_ you_ feel if we came running after you with sharp, pointy objects meant to pierce your skin and end your life?" he continued heatedly. "Go eat some leaves or something and leave me alone!" Naruto ended his dramatic speech with a loud snarl.

The man paled several shades before turning around and running away, screaming bloody murder. The forest did not fare so well from the vicious stampeding it was receiving. A distinctly ruined trail laid in his wake.

"I think that went quite well, don't you, Foxy?" Naruto lifted his right arm and looked behind him. The fox was hiding between his fluffy tails.

Maybe this human-fox scented thing wasn't harmful. After all, he _did_ scare away that burly man. And he hadn't made a move to strangle him or something…

The fox began to groom Naruto's tail.

The blond chuckled.

"Okay, little kit, where's your mom? You can't possibly be ready and up for the world just yet!" he stood up slowly, making sure that the fox would not be frightened by sudden movements. Now, he looked down at the small creature.

The fox blinked.

Naruto stared back before sighing. "You'd think I'd be at least able to communicate with foxes since I'm literally half-fox…" He frowned before looking around. "Well then… I guess there's only one way to get you back home…"

The fox squeaked a bit as he was picked up from under the forelegs. Naruto buried his head into the coat and inhaled deeply, trying to memorize the scent. He exhaled, not even looking at the gashes on his arms and face which were already healing.

As a wild creature, the fox was not accustomed to being held or picked up. So he put up a valiant fight by scratching and biting the arms and sides of the human-fox thing that was holding him. He tore the orange and black fabric of his poor savior and bit into the warm flesh until blood reddened his snout.

"Okay! Let's go!" he exclaimed as he tried to readjust the fox into a more comfortable position under his arm, completely ignoring the frantic struggles. The poor woodland creature kept scratching and biting at the boy, but all the yips and bites went unheeded.

---

Hours and hours later, near a neatly built fireplace, sat Jiraiya. The man was not pleased. Oh no, he was not at all. Quite the contrary, really, for he was absolutely annoyed. He sat there, scowling at the fire as if it had done something bad to him, and puffed his long pipe with much vengeance. He looked up through the trees and saw that it was very much near sunset.

Growling to show his displeasure to no one, he tapped his pipe onto the floor to empty it from ashes and tucked it back into his robes. He was just about to stand up when—

"Ero Sennin, I'm back!" Naruto brushed aside a few low-hanging branches and stepped into the light of the fire.

There was silence for a few seconds before Jiraiya opened his mouth.

"What the hell happened to you?" the old man raised a brow at the blood-splattered and ruined clothing that his young apprentice was wearing.

"Oh… this? Nothing much," the blond shrugged noncommittally. "I'll fix it tonight."

Jiraiya grunted in response. "You'd better not stay up too late fixing it. Remember that we're leaving early tomorrow morning."

Naruto's grin widened. "Yeah… I remember."

"Come on, go wash up or something for dinner," he said gruffly, turning back to the fire.

---

The slowly flickering fire was burning close to the ring of stones which circled it. It was dying now but still provided warmth and some light in the darkness.

Not like Naruto really needed the insignificant light. His vision was superb now. His eyes were better than those of a human. Now his eyes were slightly tinged with red no matter how he was feeling. It was just so.

The three identical scars running down his cheeks were much more distinct now as well. Darker and more prominent, if you will. And now, even if Naruto's mouth was closed, his top canine teeth would poke out slightly from under his lips until they bit into his lower lips a bit. It gave him a very feral look.

Now those red-hinted eyes were staring distantly at the fire, as if through the ground and into the fiery pits of the core of the earth itself. His bloodied clothing now lay limp on his lap as his right hand held a needle. Near him was an open sewing kit.

The task at hand had been long forgotten as Naruto found himself once more submerged in memories of that fateful day.

It was that fateful day when Naruto received his second tail. It was that day when he felt pain much worse than any cut or gash. It was that day when he felt as if he'd lost it all. And it was that day when his world narrowed down to one thing and only one thing.

---

"_Hey, Ero Sennin—"_

"_It's _Jiraiya-sama_, brat," the man interrupted._

_Naruto went on, completely ignoring the interjection. "Where are we going right now?"_

"_To sell you on the market," Jiraiya said without much thought._

_The fox-demon holder was quiet for a few moments as they trod on the nonexistent path of the forest. "I thought we were going to train…"_

_The white-haired man sighed and rolled his eyes, choosing to pretend he had not heard that._

_Suddenly, the high whistling cry of a hawk made him look up. Yes, that was his messenger bird._

"_Hold it," the old sage said, waiting for the bird to land._

_Naruto nearly crashed into him as he halted abruptly. "What is it?"_

_The boy got no answer as Jiraiya busily took the slip of paper from the small container fastened to the hawk's foot. Quickly, the paper was unrolled and read._

"_Ero Sennin?"_

_The hawk flew away noiselessly._

"_Ero Sennin, what's wrong?"_

"_Sasuke's been taken."_

"_Taken?" Naruto's blue eyes held only confusion. "To where?"_

"_To Orochimaru."_

"_Orochimaru…" the name was repeated. "Who is he?"_

_Jiraiya turned around and looked at Naruto in the eye._

_Whoever he was, this Orochimaru was not a good person. Naruto could see it in Jiraiya's eyes._

_Panic seized Naruto roughly._

"_We have to go back!"_

"_Naruto, we're too far from Konoha right now. Even if we turn back this moment, there's no chance that we will get there in time…"_

"_Sasuke is in danger!" Naruto yelled, not caring about logic._

"_Naruto, no! Stop, you can't do anything!" Jiraiya grabbed the boy's shoulder and wrenched him back._

"_Let me go, I need to get Sasuke back!" the usually carefree voice was becoming lower and more gravelly. _

_Jiraiya nearly let go from shock, but held on._

"_Let me go!" Naruto howled, his eyes swirling with angry red. He swiped at Jiraiya with a now-clawed hand but missed. His canines elongated and he snapped at his teacher viciously._

"_Naruto, NO!"_

_The paper fluttered to the ground._

'Uchiha Sasuke has been kidnapped by one of Orochimaru's henchmen, Yakushi Kabuto.'

_The forest was flooded with a malicious, red glow that afternoon. The paper was incinerated._

---

"N'rto, go to sleep," Jiraiya said as he rolled around.

"Yeah, I will…" Naruto murmured quietly. Though he was tired, he didn't want to sleep. He was afraid he would miss tomorrow morning.

Tomorrow… Yes, it was time…

Naruto folded up his still-torn clothing and sighed softly. He leaned against a tree and stared up at the visible stars through the thick foliage above head.

_Fool you were never mine…_ Sasuke's soft voice echoed in his head.

For the past two and a half-years, it was the thing Naruto woke up to and fell asleep to. That small, quiet sentence, almost like a breath.

When Sasuke had first said it to him, Naruto didn't pay much attention to it, but now he thought of it everyday.

_Not his…_ Naruto told himself for the nth time. _What did he mean?_

---

"Sasuke, you haven't touched your meal. You're not hungry."

The Uchiha did not look up nor even give a sign that he heard. That was a statement anyway, not a question.

"You will be hungry when we train tomorrow."

Still, he did not look up.

Orochimaru stood there for a few more seconds before he left the doorway.

The past two-and-a-half years had been rather mindless and thoughtless for Sasuke. Quite literally. He could no longer remember much, other than his intent on training more in order to kill his brother. Because Itachi had killed his entire family, right? Yes, that was why he was trying so hard to train.

In the mind of current day Uchiha Sasuke, emotions did not exist, friends did not exist, and the only physical feeling he ever got was pain and soreness from training. Nothing else existed.

It happened on the fourth day he was kidnapped to one of Orochimaru's hideout places. He had been forced to eat by Kabuto that day. He didn't notice anything strange about the food, but he was unconsciously losing his mind.

The second time he was forced to eat, Sasuke didn't struggle quite as much. Bit by bit, memory by memory, it was all escaping him until it boiled down to one half-true, half-lie: Train to kill Itachi.

Day after day passed and each meal that went down Sasuke's throat became less and less hard to get down. Soon, Sasuke was feeding himself quite willingly and even began to train with Orochimaru in hopes of "defeating Itachi".

It just so happened that Kabuto was a very good medic at creating vials and vials of mysterious liquids that did mysterious things to people. And it just so happened that Orochimaru knew. And it just so happened that some of it was liberally poured over each of Sasuke's meals. And it just so happened that each meal was forced down into Sasuke's throat.

And so, Sasuke became like this.

In fact, he didn't know much.

However, Sasuke _did_ know that Orochimaru had taught him all he knew and that it was time to leave soon. And Sasuke _did_ know that Orochimaru was after his body. After all, he did blatantly tell him, "Sasuke, I want your body in order to transfer my soul to your's". It wasn't too hard to understand when it was said in such a clear, precise tone.

Tomorrow… Yes, it was time…

---

"Tsunade-sama!" Shizune stumbled into the dark room, nearly stubbing her toe in her rush.

Tsunade looked up in alarm.

"Shizune, what is it?" the blonde stood up from the still-rickety table and made a move to walk towards her apprentice.

The wild-eyed woman caused much alarm. But with a bit of closer examination, she saw that it was not fear which filled those black eyes, but excitement.

"They're back!" the woman smiled.

---

"Naruto!" Sakura waved the blond down.

"Sakura-chan!" he replied, trotting over quickly. He grinned widely at his old friend. "How are you now?"

She chuckled before relying. "Great! And you, Naruto? How come you have three tails now? And… you look different…" her eyes darted around his face.

Naruto's smile faded a bit. He waved his tails around. "I—These were… Uh, _gained_ from training… I guess… I guess I trained too hard. Kyuubi's features merged in with me after time," he told her, half-lying.

His tail had split into two when he learned of Sasuke's kidnapping and it split into three when he got irrationally angry at Jiraiya during training. But even his third tail was earned because of Sasuke. Jiraiya had been discussing the topic of Sasuke when he said something that made Naruto go beserk. After each new tail, Naruto's features gradually changed until he looked like this.

"… Is it going to be dangerous for you?" the pink-haired girl asked worriedly.

"I don't think so. I haven't lost control over myself yet," he lied again.

He _had_ in fact lost control over his mind on one occasion, when he was training all too vigorously. A pseudo fourth tail had appeared in the form of a strange, bubbling aura around him and he had lost his control over his thoughts, nearly killing Jiraiya in the process. It hadn't happened again after that one time, but it was still a lie.

Sakura sighed in relief. "I'm glad. You look kind of scary though," she giggled.

"Do I now?" he grinned even more ferally.

She laughed.

"Naruto," Sakura said with a bit too much mystery tinted in her voice "I think Tsunade-sama would love to see you again. Come on, let's go see them!"

She dragged him by his arm roughly and pulled him along.

Soon, they had reached their destination. The same dingy old building they had used as a hideout years ago. It appeared to have gone through some renovations, but it was still a tacky looking thing.

Hurriedly, Sakura looked around. Once she was sure that the coast was clear, she bolted in, dragging Naruto in. She nearly crushed one of his three tails in the process of slamming the door shut.

All of a sudden, his eyes lit up. "Tsunade-baa-chan! Shizune-nee-chan! Kakashi-sensei? Iruka-sensei? Ero Sennin! Why are you here? That's where you disappeared to after we came back!" he complained to his teacher irritatedly.

"Welcome back, brat," Tsunade said in mock roughness, completely ignoring the last bit of complaints he had said. She smiled.

---

Orochimaru's forehead was slick with sweat. He had terrible trouble breathing. What a drastic change from yesterday. With hands clenched tightly on his blankets, he weakly gasped for more air in his lungs. His current body was deteriorating quickly and he didn't have much time left. Even Kabuto's medicines did not seem to work on subsiding the hideous pain he was in.

In his delirious state, Orochimaru was not able to hear someone outside of his door. He could care less, really. Swallowing thickly and trying to keep conscious, the man was rudely taken out of his trance when his door came splintering open.

Small wood slivers fell to the floor as it was sliced open. The door was quickly obliterated by crackling lightening.

"Sasuke…?" the man hissed feebly.

The Uchiha looked at his teacher deadpanned.

"What are you doing here?"

Sasuke lifted his weapon calmly.

---

"How was your two-and-a-half years away from Konoha? This old geezer"—Jiraiya mumbled, "As if you're very young…" under his breath—"didn't give you too much of a hard time, did he?"

Naruto laughed and shook his head. "I learned a lot of new things while training with Ero Sennin."

"I'm glad…" she said quietly. "Well, I'm sure that you're very tired from your journeys and traveling… You need somewhere to stay at don't you…" she muttered contemplatively. She glanced at Iruka.

Iruka stood up from a seat and smiled at his ex-student. "I think you'll remember it quite well, Naruto."

---

Sasuke walked down the hall. He had bumped into Kabuto whilst leaving the room only a few minutes before. His clothing was clean and his chokuto safely back in its sheath but as the Uchiha continued his leisurely stroll, he left bloody footprints behind him.

The man had merely watched him leave, completely stunned. He had not made a move to stop Sasuke or even investigate further. But Kabuto's stunned reaction may not last long. He hurried away

His mission was done and he was off for another one already.

Swiftly and quietly, he maneuvered his way through empty hallways and unguarded doorways. Soon, he was out of the hideout and on his way to freedom.

---

It was much later in the day now. An angry fiery red splashed across the ground and buildings as the sun died again for today. It would be reborn tomorrow, but for now it was dying tragically.

They were at the Uchiha palace now. "They" were consisted of Tsunade, Jiraiya, Kakashi, Iruka, Shizune, Naruto and Sakura.

Iruka stepped forward and opened the gates slowly.

Naruto waited with bated breath as the gates were swung open, revealing his old home. Just the same. He took a small step forward. Dust stirred gently by his feet.

They didn't appear weathered nor worn at all. They looked the same. Just like they were the day that he was banished. Except for the fact that there were absolutely no servants left.

"What… What happened to everyone?" he asked quietly.

There was a short silence before Sakura spoke up, almost timidly. "After you left and Sasuke… left, it didn't feel right to stay behind in the Uchiha Palace for me. I moved in with Tsunade-sama and Shiznue-san. I let the servants leave and return to their families after that."

"… Everything looks so… pristine…" Naruto whispered softly.

"We tried to keep it as clean as possible for you," Iruka said gently, as if afraid to break the fragile atmosphere.

By "we" Naruto deducted that he probably meant Tsunade and company.

"Thank you… You shouldn't have gotten rid of the servants then…" the blond breathed.

"Even if we did keep them back, we would have no way of paying their monthly payment," Tsunade replied. "Go on…"

"But—" he choked on his own words, memories flooding back to him.

"_Sasuke… Do you love me?"_

"—this is not my home," he said, swallowing the thick feeling lodged in his throat. "This is Sasuke's home, Itachi's home, Sakura's home…" he looked over at the pink-haired girl feebly.

Uchiha Sasuke.

Uchiha Itachi.

Uchiha Sakura.

And Uzumaki Naruto.

This was not home for him. Not in the Uchiha palace.

Sakura laughed lightly. "Naruto, you fool. Has three years of training and time for thinking brought you to this very same conclusion? You are part of the Uchiha family. More so than I. I am part because of a forced marriage, but you are part because Sasuke has already claimed you as his. Even though I am technically part of their family, I didn't feel right staying in it because… I'm not truly an Uchiha… Don't you see, Naruto? Can't you see?" she asked quietly.

"Sakura—" he swallowed again as a sudden dryness overtook his ability to speak.

"_Fool… You were never mine…"_

"He's never said that… I've asked him… He never answered…" Naruto said vaguely.

"Still a fool, Naruto… Still a fool," she repeated with her lips gently tugged up. The remaining members of the group had politely entered the palace and left the two alone a while ago.

"But Sakura, you don't understand, Sasuke… Sasuke never loved me… He never said…" Naruto frowned and averted his gaze.

She let out a sharp, slightly forced laugh. "Don't you understand, Naruto? That some things are best left unsaid? That not everything not spoken is not true? Simply because Sasuke never _told_ you he loved you does not mean he_doesn't _love you at all," she continued calmly.

"He said that I was never his," he said loudly, trying in vain to think of a good rebuttal.

"Then it only proves that he treats you as an equal, and not as someone who has a lower rank than he," came the brisk reply.

She didn't hesitate nor stutter. She was sure of it. Absolutely, one hundred and seventeen percent sure.

"He loved you, more than me, more than anyone else, he loved you. Open your eyes, Naruto. You can see it, but you are blinded by a cloud of doubt. Come on, Naruto…."

---

Sasuke looked around his surroundings. No, there was no one around. He was sure that no one was pursuing him either. It was clear now.

But where will he be heading to now? He had not taken any food or water along with him, only his weapon and his current robes. No matter, food was easy to capture and new clothes could be purchased.

He looked up at the sky. It was getting dark already.

_Uchiha Itachi._

That was his destination.

---

The room was eerily quiet. So quiet that it would seem to be unoccupied at the moment. There were many people sitting in it, but they all held their breaths as Naruto wandered around the painfully familiar room.

He was acutely aware that Sasuke's scent was no longer attached to any of the objects in the palace. They had been cleaned too many times in the past two and a half years to carry that scent. But otherwise, everything seemed to be in place. It was almost as if the palace had been sealed away for the last two and a half years, perfectly preserved in every way, shape, and form.

"Thank you," Naruto repeated, when he stopped in the center of the room. He turned around and smiled gratefully at the people around him. "Thank you."

---

He had stopped many times because he didn't know where Itachi was. Even with occasional news about Akatsuki every now and again, Sasuke was not able to track down Itachi. As a group, there were many rumors about the whereabouts of Akatsuki, but not Itachi alone. It was useless.

Perhaps, Sasuke thought, it would be best if he simply followed his instincts. They never failed him before. It was almost as if his intense hatred against his brother had given him an internal global Itachi tracking system of some sort. He was simply compelled to move in a direction.

So he followed his subconscious and leapt onto a tree quickly.

---

The sun had already set now. No longer did hues of red stain the floor. No longer did the sun grasp feebly at the sky in an attempt to keep alive.

Now the moon hung high in the sky, a sliver of a circle. The stars were joining her now and low clouds as well. A halo of light could be seen around her imperfect figure.

And somewhere far, far off flew a hawk. An agile, keen hawk. Attached to its foot was a tube. And in that tube, a strip of paper. On that paper a code. A code to be translated and read. And it was heading toward the Uchiha Palace.

Where Naruto was. Where Sakura, and Tsunade, and Shizune, and Iruka, and Kakashi were. And Jiraiya.

It was swift and quiet as it flew with much determination.

The message had to be delivered quickly, for without it, none of the ever-important events that follow it will ever happen.

The domino effect, if you please to call it. And this hawk with the all-important letter was the first piece destined to fall.


	16. The Scalene Triangle

**Beta-read by Nadramon.**

**---**

"Ah, it's so nice to see everyone again! They've all changed so much, haven't they?" Naruto chirped as he walked alongside Sakura. She kept a bit away from him in order to avoid his obnoxiously large strides and three tails.

For the past week or so Sakura had been lugging Naruto around to meet their old friends. Everyone was so different now. Taller, smarter, more mature. But all of them were quite shocked to see how much Naruto changed. Hinata had nearly fainted when she saw his misleading new appearance.

"Mm," she nodded, "it's kind of cool and sad at the same time though isn't it? That everyone has become strangers all over again?"

Red tinged eyes darted over to the pink-haired girl. "I suppose so…" he smiled lightly. "I bet there's one thing in Konoha that hasn't changed one bit though!"

"And that would be…?" Sakura looked at her companion curiously.

"Ichiraku's ramen, of course!" he laughed.

She sighed and rolled her eyes in mock annoyance.

"It's almost lunchtime anyway! Let's go!" Naruto grinned at her.

"Fine, but you're paying!"

"Awww…" he whined, thinking about his poor frog wallet.

Sakura smiled gently at him.

---

Sasuke ate silently, suddenly wanting everything to be absolutely quiet. He bit into the bread that he had bought from a small vender he had stumbled upon while leaving the base. He was straining his concentration quite a bit at the moment.

Ever since he left the place, he had to look for his own food and strange things had begun to happen to him. Bizarre, broken images flooded his mind at the most random intervals. He could see and hear snatches of conversations, names, faces, smells, touches, but never the entire thing. He was severely stumped. He didn't remember ever having experienced such things before.

But no matter how much denial was given on the Uchiha's part, the memories did not stop.

"_Hey, Sasuke! Look, look!" a voice called. He had heard that voice on many occasions in his memories._

_He felt himself turn around and look to where the voice beckoned him to look at. He saw nothing. When he turned around, he discovered that his meal was gone._

"_Hey! You little thief, come back with my food!" he yelled, laughing._

_The other voice laughed with him._

Sasuke snapped back to the present again.

The piece of bread in his hand was nearly mashed into a lovely ball of mushy dough before he realized what he was doing. He didn't bother to relax his eyebrows though. He strained to remember where he had experienced that before, but couldn't.

A blur of orange and yellow. What was it?

He crumbled up the rest of his bread and stood up, brushing off his hands.

---

Jiraiya was sitting outside on a small bench as the afternoon slowly crept upon them. Now, even the shade did not help in the battle against the heat. He wiped his forehead hastily and looked around the streets.

He straightened when he spotted Tsunade and Shizune walking toward him. They both looked very distracted.

"What are you two doing out here?" he asked once they came close enough to hear him.

Tsunade had just opened her mouth when something interrupted her.

A shrill cry from above them cracked the air. A few passersby stopped momentarily to see what it was.

All three of them looked up as well and saw a hawk circling them. Quickly, it dropped down and landed on the spot next to Jiraiya. With its intense gaze, the hawk looked at them, beckoning them to take the slip of paper attached to its outstretched leg.

The paper was rapidly removed and all three of them huddled together to read the paper.

Shizune was the first one to snap out of shock and straightened up immediately.

"I'll go fetch them!" she exclaimed and ran away, expertly avoiding the villagers milling around the streets.

---

"Shizune-nee-chan?" Naruto exclaimed quite suddenly, startling Sakura. "What is i—"

"Naruto! Sakura!" she said, slightly breathless. "Tsunade-sama and Jiraiya-sama will need to speak with you," she said hurriedly. "It's about Sasuke."

Without another word, Naruto threw down the tab and ran out of the shop with Sakura following closely.

Horrid thoughts filled Naruto's head. Had Sasuke gotten killed? Did Itachi already find him? No, he couldn't think of such things. He shook his head and continued to run, avoiding all the villagers in his mad dash.

---

Sasuke stopped and looked up at the clear sky.

_Heavily lidded eyes of the same color blinked as he leaned forward._

The loud, jarring shriek of a bird made him snap out of his old world again. He watched the clouds for a while before lowering his gaze and continuing to walk again.

He had a bad feeling about this. If he was always so distracted, it may prove to be a problem concerning his safety. Since he wasn't fully aware of his surroundings one hundred twenty percent of the time there was a high chance that someone could catch him off guard.

He grit his teeth and quickened his steps as though his acceleration would leave his thoughts behind.

---

"Tsunade-baa-chan, what is it?" Naruto stumbled into the room with Sakura behind him.

Tsunade and Jiraiya turned around quickly. Iruka and Kakashi suddenly ran up as well.

"What's wrong?" Iruka asked a bit too harshly because of his shortened breath.

"Jiraiya and I have both received news… Which can be perceived as good or as bad," she said, looking up gravely.

The four of them untangled themselves and filed inside with a more orderly fashion.

"Some of my spies have confirmed the fact that Akatsuki is on the move again," Tsunade told them once they were all organized accordingly.

Naruto and Sakura looked taken aback while Kakashi and Iruka simply looked very worried.

"Jiraiya had received word about Sasuke—" here, Naruto's hands tightened into fists, "—that he has killed Orochimaru.

"We don't have much more information upon that, but we are sure that he is still seeking Itachi," she stopped and looked around the room. "Now… This news can be perceived as bad since Naruto is again in the danger of being captured. Although Jiraiya has done a good job of teaching you, Naruto, their level is still higher than your's. However…"

Naruto's hands clenched even tighter.

"It can be perceived as good since our goal was to bring Sasuke back But right now, we have to think of something that will assure Konoha's safety as well as everyone else's," she looked directly at Naruto at the end.

"I'll," Naruto's steely gaze met hers, "be bait."

Immediately, Iruka began to protest, "Naruto, you can't do that! It's too danger—"

Tsunade held up a hand.

"How will this help us? And how will we secure your safety? And the village's?"

"I can… I can go out away from the village so that I can receive help in a short amount of time, but not too close… If Akatsuki is truly seeking me, they will go no further than where I am. And—And if she is willing, Sakura can join me as well.

"The village… is safe because of everyone else who is willing to give their lives to protect it," he said with firm finality. He thought of all his friends and their bravery and at once felt sure that the village would not even get one scratch with them protecting it.

Tsunade closed her eyes and thought for a long time.

"Very well. Kakashi, do you have any objections toward this?"

"No."

"Jiraiya?"

The old man smiled slightly at his student's ingenious plan. "No."

"But—But, Tsunade-sama! We can't possibly—They're only kids! And—" Iruka was completely flustered.

"Iruka," she said quietly, effectively calming him down a bit. "Trust him."

Reluctantly, he nodded.

---

"It's been a while, ne?" his deep voice quavered with bottled-up excitement.

The black robes billowed behind them angrily as they shot from tree to tree. Flashes of red clouds could be seen between leaves and twigs.

He grinned anyway, though received no answer from his partner. Sharp, familiar looking teeth flashed in the sunlight.

---

While going in the general direction he was impelled to go in, his mind was playing like a broken recorder. No matter how hard he tried to banish them away, they pestered him constantly. Over time, the memories became more and more vivid though he still could not see anyone's faces clearly yet.

"_No, don't stand like that. Here, look. This is how the stance goes," a blur of silver flashed by in his mind and became unfocussed._

Sasuke growled in frustration as he was suddenly warped into the world of mysterious people, voices, and touches. It was beginning to drive him insane. Why was he even experiencing such things? Though he stubbornly refused to accept the fact that he probably knew these people before, the strange feeling of déjà vu would not leave him alone.

His usually blank face showed pure anger.

---

The plans were finally organized and fully approved of hours later. When the two childhood friends walked out of the stuffy building, both of them were quite exhausted.

Glazed, green eyes looked at Naruto. "I suppose you might want to go back and pack some things. Do you want me to come with you so that you won't be so lonely?" she offered. Sakura had all her possessions inside their "headquarters" so she didn't have to leave.

Naruto took one look at her bleary eyes and shook his head. "I'll be okay by myself. You should go back inside and sleep for a bit, Sakura-chan."

She nodded vaguely and went back inside after bidding him good-bye.

---

Naruto shuffled around the room. It used to be Sasuke's and his room. He wished, with his heart aching terribly, that one day it would once again be their room. Tsunade and the rest of them had done a terrific job of keeping the palace in order.

The robes that he had left behind more than two-and-a-half years ago had been replaced with new robes over the years, as if they had been expecting Naruto or Sasuke to return any day. He had made a note to thank them and repay them all soon.

Walking around to the closet, he slid it open and rummaged around until he had enough clothes to last him for a while. His hand hit something in a stack of clothing and his keen ears picked up what seemed to be a muffled jingle of a bell.

Carefully, he pulled stack after stack of robes until he unearthed what had made that small sound.

It was his old collar. He rubbed it with his thumb and stared at it for a long time. He tightened his grip on it and tucked it inside his robes before pressing his palm against his chest and closing his eyes.

_Sasuke._

---

"_Sasuke…"_

_Who are you? Sasuke desperately wanted to know who all these people were. They knew him. They knew his name. Who are you?_

"_Sasuke…"_

A particularly loud croak from a nearby toad made Sasuke slip out of his puzzling world again.

Absently, Sasuke lifted his right hand and ran it across his left shoulder. He shuddered slightly as his fingers ran over the curse seal that Orochimaru had given him many years ago.

Had he wanted it in the first place? Or had he struggled? He couldn't remember.

A late night wind blew into the area, making the fire he built leap up, red-orange fingers stretching out to touch the invisible fuel it needed.

He stared into the fire. He could already feel its hotness fan out from the flames. Suddenly, his body shivered as an intense hot feeling flooded his being.

"_Aahn… Sa-Sasukeee…" he remembered something again. He could feel himself press his open mouth against heated skin which was writhing underneath him. "Sasu…"_

Sasuke suddenly felt embarrassed. Had he really done that before? He scoffed, still rejecting the possibility. He had been alone for all his life so there was no chance that something as intimate as that would have really occurred.

The Uchiha decided that he wasn't hungry and stalked away from the warmth of his cheerfully crackling fire.

Why now? Where were all these memories coming from? Sasuke was puzzled. Ever since he had been training with Orochimaru, he had no recollection of his past or even the whim of searching into his past. But now… everything was coming back and tearing at his sanity with a vengeance.

He didn't notice his hands forming tight fists as he gazed into the calm night.

---

"Naruto, Sakura, please be careful. This is Jiraiya's fastest messenger hawk. If anything happens, send him to us and we will immediately send you help," Tsunade held out her arm and the hawk hopped off quickly, landing on Naruto's shoulder. "From our leads, I believe they should be arriving in a few days but until then, lay low and try not to attract much attention.

"If by chance, they get past you two, we will all try our best to push them out of the village. As for Sasuke… We will see how he will react," Tsunade said quietly.

All of them nodded firmly and bade her goodbye quickly. With that, they disappeared into the forest.

---

Kisame grinned at Itachi as they continued their hurried journey. "Do you think your little brother is going to be there as well?" he chuckled, as if amused by the thought.

"It would not matter to me," Itachi responded serenely.

"Is that so?" the man laughed in his deep voice as they continued. "This time, for sure, we will get that brat…"

---

"Naruto…"

The blond looked up and tucked away his old collar. "Ah, Sakura-chan… Is there something I can help you with?"

She shook her head and looked at him in the darkness. The fire had been put out a while ago. She struggled to see his facial expression in the moonlight but he had no trouble at all. She looked worried.

"Naruto..." she repeated again then bit her lip as if deciding whether or not she should say anything. She changed her mind at the last minute and said, "It's nothing. It's getting late now. We should go to sleep…"

He nodded. "Okay…"

The girl was about to turn and leave when she hesitated before saying, "Don't worry Naruto…"

He smiled, his long canines giving him a slightly demonic look although his eyes were filled with innocence. "I won't, Sakura-chan."

She returned the smile and stared into his red-blue eyes. "Alright then… Good night, Naruto."

"Good night."

Naruto watched silently as his friend walked away from him. He averted his attention to the sky after she had disappeared between the trees somewhere. Quickly, he was able to find three bright stars which formed a scalene triangle.

"_Sasuke, look…" he pointed at the sky. "Can you see that triangle?"_

_Sasuke was quiet for a moment before he nodded._

"_Mmm, the top one should be you," Naruto said softly. "And the one on the right will be me… And the last one will be Sakura-chan… Just the three of us, right?"_

_He nodded again._

"Just the three of us…" Naruto said lowly as he leaned on a tree's trunk and closed his eyes.

---

The restless days passed slowly. And everyone was waiting for the right moment to come. They were coming closer. It would begin very soon and there was nothing that could stop this inevitable thing.

Naruto was anxious to see Sasuke again. The way Tsunade had sent them off made him suspicious that she might have doubted Sasuke's innocence. As if he would really go after Orochimaru and join him… Ridiculous! But… Deep inside, there was a slight nagging feeling that wouldn't leave him alone.

What if… What if Sasuke changed his mind after two-and-a-half years of training with Orochimaru? What if he thought that Konoha was no longer his home and wanted to leave forever? Or would he just kill Itachi and go?

Itachi and Kisame were only trying the best to reach Konoha quickly so that they may capture Naruto and bring him back to headquarters.

Itachi was completely unconcerned about the prospect of maybe meeting up with his brother. That was not his task anyway.

Sasuke was following a blind path, not quite knowing where he would end up.

Sasuke had a slight feeling that wherever he was going, it would mean that all his memories would be cleared up quickly. At least he hoped for that because it was getting very annoying to slid back and forth between the past and the present.

But soon, their wait was over, for they have finally congregated at the spot right outside of Konoha.

The battle will begin soon.

---

Sakura suddenly looked around hurriedly. The forest's calm atmosphere had cracked. Something or someone was coming. "Naruto," she whispered softly.

Weapons were taken out swiftly and they were both on their toes, trying to hear or see who was coming first. It wasn't until another fifteen minutes before Naruto picked up the soft rustling of foliage being crushed by feet. Silently, he pointed in the direction and both of them faced that way from their hiding places.

Sakura suddenly clapped her hand over her mouth in an attempt not to gasp out loud. Naruto's eyes widened. The hawk noted their shocked expressions and flew away to the right location its wings not making the slightest disturbance in the area.

Now, from between the thick trunks of the tree, out leapt a dark blur.

He looked so different from two-and-a-half years ago.

"Sasuke…" Naruto could not suppress the whisper.

They stopped and stiffened. They knew that they weren't the only ones in the area.

There was a loud crashing sound when two more people suddenly dropped down from the trees behind them. Both of them spun around, no longer attempting to hide themselves.

"Haha, we found you, brat," Kisame said in an obviously happy voice. Itachi was standing next to him, not looking any different than he was two-and-a-half years ago.

"Itachi…" Sasuke said quietly, apparently unaware of Sakura and Naruto.

The world stood still, as if it was frozen. A freeze-frame in the middle of a movie or a show… That was what it was. Only the breathing sounds of all five of them could be heard. All other sounds appeared to have been negated by the heavy atmosphere.

And abruptly, the world exploded into action again as if the "Play" button had been hit once more. Kisame swung Samehada at Naruto without any warning. Sasuke already had his chokuto out and was eyeing Itachi strangely.

Sakura yelled in preparation, immediately going into action as well.

The blond quickly darted away from the dangerous weapon and watched Itachi and Sasuke. He gasped out just in time before Kisame went after them again.

Two separate battles, one which had not begun yet, swirled around the forest causing trees to fall down, the ground to crack, the sky to quiver in fright, the animals to flee, and for blood to spill.

Naruto snapped his jaws angrily as Kisame swiped at him. Quickly, Sakura punched the ground, forcing the shark-man to retreat quickly as the floor cracked open.

Still, the Uchiha brothers were calculating each other with their eyes, neither of them moving or noticing the ruckus around them.

"You're not going to run straight into me like the last time we encountered, little one?" Itachi asked in a flat tone. Sasuke could not decipher whether the statement was sarcastic or not.

He was concentrating so hard, he didn't even seem to notice the people fighting around him. He didn't see Naruto or Sakura. His entire world narrowed down quickly until only Itachi was important.

At this point, he could not help but to foolishly think about what would happen after the big fight. If he won, what would happen? Or if he lost, what would happen? But he would never know until the fight started.

Sasuke started. With his weapon securely held in hand, he rushed at Itachi and made a move to stab him in his stomach. Itachi quickly jumped back and landed on a tree. His robes weren't even the slightest bit torn.

"Better," the older Uchiha stated plainly.

Naruto let out a savage howl as he swiped his clawed hands at Kisame. The blue-skinned man merely chuckled and backed away, swiftly avoiding Sakura's follow-up punch. Samehada was swung once again and they were both forced back.

Sakura took the opportunity to punch a rather large-looking tree. Mournful creaking and moaning filled the air as the fibers of the tree splintered and cracked. It fell and made a storm of dry dust whirl into the air.

The entire battle arena was filled with a cloud of brown dust which readily stuck onto the sweat-slickened skin. Naruto covered up his mouth and nose with a sleeve but frantically looked around for Sakura and Kisame. A loud, ear-splitting screech made by two metal weapons meeting to his right alerted him that Sasuke and Itachi were finally engaged in hand-to-hand combat.

All of a sudden, Samehada sliced the dusty air in front of him and shaved into one of Naruto's tails. He suddenly felt drained of energy. With a wild yowl, the blond took out a kunai and stabbed it into one of the hands holding onto the weapon. His blood dripped onto the floor even as the wound healed up quickly. Kisame growled in pain and backed away into the settling dust.

"Are you alright?" Sakura asked worriedly.

"Yeah, I'm fine," he replied hastily. He glanced over at Sasuke and Itachi.

"Don't look away, brats!" Kisame barked, striking down upon them again.

Naruto and Sakura split up.

Red against red.

Sasuke's body crackled with electricity as he charged at Itachi once more. His breathing hadn't quickened yet, but his older brother did not seem to be very tired-out either. There were many times where he almost got injured but his speed helped him out. No blood was spilled in this battle yet.

Years of bottled up anger and frustration finally came loose in the battle to the end. There was no such thing as mercy or hesitation, second thoughts or rash attacks, other emotions or words. It was just so. Just a battle to the end.

Amazingly enough, both of them were completely unscathed. Even their robes were in perfect condition. They were sweating now the heat of the midday sun and strenuous activity causing slight fatigue.

Their fight resembled some sort of malicious dance of a sort. Attacks and blocks which flowed so fluidly they appeared to be steps from some pre-organized plan. Thumps from feet hitting dry ground making dust swirl and leaves crushed all added to the discordant tempo of the bizarre show. Metal against metal, screeching, crying, tearing, ripping, chipping, hitting. Again, again.

Trees received scars of their brave battle. Leaves were sacrificed for the ritual. Grass was torn up like some sort of coarse confetti to celebrate their valiant combat. Dust seemed to sparkle in the bright, hot sunlight to join the festivities.

Harsh gasps and grunts, kicks and punches amongst the slashes given out, dodges, blocks, all another part of the show. A flash of metal darting across the ground and trees. Another slash in the ground. One more cut, a leap away, a quick glance. All over again.

A flash of blue, pink, yellow. The battles crash into each other before quickly sorting out again.

Itachi swung again at Sasuke. A thread on his robes snapped in half.

The fight became more vicious.

The first cut made. Almost as if that small fiber was the thing that held the battle on a rational level that small cut made everything become insane.

The battle of endurance suddenly became something else. Their smooth choreography became more frantic with sudden stops and challenges of power. There, a torn piece of fabric, there, a drop of blood, there, a cut, a gash, a yell, another slash.

Soon, both of them were equally tired and exhausted. Labored breathing could be heard throughout the area. Blood dripped steadily from new wounds.

"Sakura!" Naruto yelled out, catching her attention. He stared at her intensely. She furrowed her eyebrows and looked anxious but nodded her head. She leapt down from the tree she was taking shelter in and charged at Kisame.

Naruto closed his blue-red eyes and concentrated. Jiriaya had taught him to do this many, many times. He had been able to do this many, many times… It would all count on this one small thing…

His right, clawed hand cupped together as he knit his brows together. His three tails lashed around behind him and a strange red aura glowed around him. The red power seemed to be sucked into his right hand as dirt from his feet was picked up by some unseen force and quavered a few inches above ground.

Sakura was distracting Kisame at her fullest extent. Trees were knocked down with much force as she punched and kicked everything in her path dangerously. Her only goal was to occupy Kisame long enough for Naruto to complete his attack.

Both Uchihas paused for a split second before returning to their battle. The peculiar red energy intrigued both of them, but there were more demanding tasks at hand. Sasuke felt as if he had encountered this energy before. That energy was so familiar, yet unrecognizable.

Soon, the entire place was being battered and whipped around by the mere force of wind roaring in the center of Naruto's hand. The ball of evilness swirled and spun forming a deadly shuriken-shaped attack of some sort.

The Uchihas had to stop again because of the insane amount of power flooding the small area. Even Kisame had to brace himself from the incredible energy being released by the young man. Sakura had fled to a reasonably safe distance the moment she felt Naruto's power touch her.

Naruto's eyes were fully red now and slitted. The already dark marks on his face, as if someone was retracing them with charcoal, darkened several more shades and his viciously sharp teeth elongated even more. Usually smooth and somewhat tamed blond hair became coarse and wild, spiking up even more.

The half-demon opened his mouth and let out a snarl akin to that of a monster's. He dropped on all threes, claws leaving deep gashes in the dry dirt. Naruto was careful to keep the ball of whirling evil above the ground as he charged almost blindly at Kisame.

There was no scream.

No time to yell, to see and to look, or to appear shocked, or to even feel. He was just gone. It was too fast and deadly.

The body fell back with a soggy 'thump.'

Itachi didn't even seem to care about his partner's death. Neither did Sasuke. Once the power had lessened their fight resumed.

Somewhere, safely hiding, Sakura was watching the scene with a look of horrification. He had not said that he would _kill_ Kisame. Complete revulsion filled her face.

The technique was unimaginably messy and gory. Green leaves were now stained with dripping red. She looked away, not wanting to see it anymore.

Was that truly the gentle and kind Naruto she had known for so long? It was frightening to think that her childhood friend could do something like that. She had never killed anyone before, but had Naruto? She couldn't think of any situation which required the task of killing someone… But even so… He did not seem to hesitate the slightest bit during the attack.

Such a crazed, deranged look that Naruto had on his face. It was almost like euphoria. With his unnaturally long fangs bared like that and his eyebrows knit so closely together, the blond had almost appeared as if he was grinning, laughing.

She shivered when she felt another powerful wave of Naruto's foul power sweep over her. Normally when she was next to Naruto not even the smallest bit of that evil power was felt but now it was overwhelming. What will Naruto do now? He has finished the first part of the mission but what now? Will he try and stop the Uchihas?

He didn't return to her as planned.

Another surge of heat rolled over the forest, causing the leaves to wither a bit and Sakura to look back to the scene again. Shouldn't Naruto be normal again? Why was the power still so strong?

She looked back and gasped. All three of them looked horrendous. Clothing torn, bleeding wounds, wild eyes, ruffled hair, claws, blood, fangs, eyes, evil eyes…

Itachi and Sasuke's battle had finally reached the zenith. Both were giving out their best. Their stamina was gradually trickling away. Now they had stopped to see what the strange undulating power was coming from.

Naruto was still in half-demon, half-human form. His eyes no longer held any sign of recognition towards Itachi or Sasuke. His claws were digging into the hard ground, ripping it up as if it was mere talc. Three tangible tails whipped behind him as a fourth could be seen forming an outline next to them. He was hiding behind a large clump of brush, clearly out of sight of the Uchihas.

_He opened his mouth to say the name. He felt his lips move and the vibration of the name slip past his throat. He heard nothing. His mind refused to give him the name. He felt something hard nudge him on the chest. Warm and soft. Yellow. Orange fur. He hugged it and buried his head into the comforting warmth._

Sasuke's eyes fluttered for a moment as he was sucked back into the world of the past. Something strange caused that lapse. He charged at Itachi again.

He dodged.

He attacked again.

He cut.

He bled once more.

_Swish_. Tail slashing through the air.

Sharingan flashing through rapidly blinking lids.

"_Sasuke, if you want to see—" a man spoke. In the back of his mind, Sasuke knew the man had brown hair and dark eyes with a scar across his nose. He knew him. The name the man was going to say was omitted. "…you'd better hurry up with your lessons. Kakashi-sensei won't like it if you're late."_

_Thunk_. A sharp blade embedding itself in a soft, old tree.

_Shing_. Sasuke's attack.

Naruto's demon-vision blurred and mixed everything together. Dark, red, black, red, grey, red, red again. Bloodthirstiness welled up inside of him. Prey in front of him. They were too busy to notice him.

The evilness oozed onto the ground and swirled like sinking smoke. He couldn't think straight.

Itachi's step faltered when the dark aura of power twisted and writhed on the floor. It had grabbed his foot. This was the power of Kyuubi.

Sasuke's hand jerked up to pull his chokuto from the ground. Some foul red slime-like thing had wrapped itself around the blade. What was that thing? It was so annoying.

Oh, what could she do? She didn't want to stray from their original plan. Sakura's eyes darted from the battle to the lurking Naruto.

"_Sakura-chan, here's how we're going to do it, okay?" Naruto had told her softly that morning. She remembered that she had shivered involuntarily as he looked at her with red-blue eyes. "If Sasuke, Itachi, and Kisame come, I'm certain that Sasuke and Itachi will fight. That leaves Kisame for us."_

_She nodded._

"_Once Sasuke's battle becomes vicious enough and they draw blood, we'll take action. I'll give you a signal," he paused to glance around, "and you'll have to keep Kisame away from me until I'm done with my technique."_

"_What technique, Naruto?"_

_He grinned. "You'll see. It's cool. I'll run toward him but once you feel my power—you'll know it when you feel it— run as far away as you can and _hide_."_

"_Why?"_

_He ignored her. "Okay, once I injure him, he's out of the game. Stay away from the area for a while until I give you the second signal. I'll give it to you once I'm certain that both of them are almost out of energy. That way you can knock Itachi out if necessary. You'll have enough energy left to do that. I'll take care of Sasuke."_

"_Okay…"_

"_Once you hear the signal, we'll intervene Sasuke's battle—oh, he won't be happy about that...— and _voilà!_ we'll capture Sasuke. But if anything happens, just run away real fast, okay?" he laughed._

_She looked at him strangely. "Why would anything bad happen, Naruto?"_

_He laughed again._

_Why wouldn't he answer?_

He opened his mouth to snarl at his unsuspecting prey. The red in his eyes flickered like a broken film. Blue-red-blue. "Sa—" he choked on the world and the rest of the name was turned into a guttural growl.

Sasuke let out a harsh cry as Itachi cut him on his right arm. He fell to the ground. No, after all this training he was still too weak. His breathing was hard as he tried to reach for his weapon. A foot came down upon the blood-shining blade.

Helpless.

Itachi smirked down at his little brother. He picked up the weapon swiftly and turned it in his hand. He brought it up.

The wind stopped. The leaves stopped. The dust stopped. It all stopped.

"_Remember that triangle, Sasuke. It's all of us… Together forever, right? Friends… Don't ever forget that," the voice next to him said softly._

"_I won't forget… I won't forget…" the name was on the tip of his tongue. He gazed at the stars and the scalene triangle made by the brightest of stars. There was a short flash across the sky. The first shooting star he had ever seen. It was beautiful._

_I want to be with you forever…_

A huge gust roared through the forest.

Blood flew from the blade as it was brought down with much vengeance.

Naruto flew out from his hiding place, his impatience to kill finally bursting from him.

"_Do you love me, Sasuke?"_

He faltered slightly.

Sakura shrieked. "Naruto!"

Static, broken record. Choose your color. Red or blue?

It seemed like a river of blood had splashed across the ground. The thirsty ground drank greedily, not caring if it wasn't water. Sweat joined the salty-rusty mixture.

_Naruto. That was his name._

Sasuke's eyes didn't function properly now. Everything was so fuzzy.

The demonic blond had his clenched fist held in front of him. The devil's power dripped onto the floor. Like chains, it had locked onto Itachi's feet. The orange-red power had extended from his clenched fist, forming an untouchable bridge. It linked his hand and Itachi's neck together.

With a clang, the chokuto fell to the ground.

The eldest Uchiha's breathing was labored as he was choked by a scalding hot thickness.

Blood trickled out from Naruto's mouth. His fangs were receding.

He didn't spare Itachi a second glance. He tightened his grip.

_Crack._

The body fell to the floor in a heavy mound of flesh. Kyuubi's power melted away, evaporated. It was gone. The fourth tail did not form.

It was childhood all over again.

The scene replayed.

"_Ah! Sasuke fell!" Naruto cried out as he saw his friend slip on the wet grass and fall face-first. He ran as quickly as his stubby feet could carry him. He found Sasuke hunched over, clutching his knee._

_The Uchiha looked up darkly. He wasn't crying, but obviously in pain._

"_Sasuke, are you okay?"_

_He shook his head vigorously._

_Naruto stood there awkwardly. "It's okay if it hurts..." he knelt down beside the boy, placing his hands on his knees as he peered at him._

_Sasuke shook his head again._

_The blond pursed his lips together as he looked at the bleeding wound. "It's okay if you cry…"_

_He clenched his jaw and his fingers turned a bit white as he held onto his injured knee even harder._

"_Does it hurt?"_

_Sasuke gasped and started to cry._

_Yes. It did hurt. But it doesn't hurt so much anymore._

Naruto's hand fell as he looked at Sasuke tiredly. He smiled weakly.

"Does it hurt?"

His eyes rolled back.

Darkness wrapped around him like a welcoming blanket.

"Naru…to," Sasuke choked out as he, too, fell backwards.

Faintly, he heard someone scream their names.

"Naruto! Sasuke!"


	17. The Battle We've Won

**A/N: I know you guys won't read this. I'll save it for the end.**

**Beta-read by Nadramon.**

---

This pain…

_It hurts so much._

Was it a reminder that it wasn't over yet…?

---

These whispers….

_I can hear them._

What were they saying…?

---

These feelings…

_Deep in my heart._

What does it mean…?

---

This touch…

_It is so gentle._

Whose is it…?

---

He wasn't aware of how much time had passed since he had been last conscious, but it was finally time for him to wake up. The first thing he noted was the fact that his entire body was terribly sore. The next was the fact that his limbs were stiff and carefully bandaged. The third was the knowing that he was lying down on a nice, warm futon with a blanket over him. And the last was the slight pricking feeling that someone was watching him.

His breathing quickened and he woke up. His vision was slightly blurred when he opened his eyes but he caught a faint fuzzy outline of pink to his right. The soft, comforting sounds of rough fabric being rubbed against itself filled his strangely sensitive ears.

The noise stopped.

"Sasuke-kun," a soft voice filled the room. His name was said with utmost tentativeness. Almost afraid of breaking the void of silence, it appeared. "You're awake."

He turned his head stiffly. "Sakura."

He knew that voice. He knew that face. He knew this room, this place, this being. He remembered. And he was glad for that.

"Welcome back, Sasuke-kun."

He pressed his eyes together tightly and let out a breath. He opened them again just to see if it was all a dream. She was still there. "I'm back." The feeling of fitting in, of finally belonging to a place again, flooded him. He was back.

Her face broke into a smile. "Are you feeling okay?" the linen bandages in her lap was momentarily forgotten as she gazed at him happily.

He grunted in response. She didn't look all that well either. A bandage around her neck, some wrapped around her hands, probably more that he could not see. "And you?"

She shook her head. "I'm fine. There's nothing to worry about."

Sasuke turned his head back to stare at the ceiling. He was quiet for a while, running all the events through his head. It was strange that all his memories were back now. It was a good thing, but it overwhelmed him a bit.

Sakura sat there politely, waiting for him to recover from his daze.

"Where's Naruto?"

A slight hesitation allowed the question to linger in the air, still clinging loosely to Sasuke's dry lips.

"Tsunade-sama is checking up on him right now," she replied with that same, sweet voice.

"Is he okay?"

Her full lips pressed together slightly and her eyebrows furrowed a bit. She resumed her act of rolling up unused bandages. "He…" she began uncertainly.

"… I want to see him," Sasuke told the ceiling above him.

She sighed silently, but stood up slowly. "I'll go get him for you…"

"Thank you."

He listened to the door slide open and close again.

A few minutes passed and Sasuke examined the ceiling as if it was the most interesting thing he had ever seen in his life. Finally, he closed his eyes again.

When the dry rustling of the sliding door was heard again, he slowly opened his eyes and turned his head toward the sound. He saw two pairs of feet from his limited range of sight. What appeared to be the tips of three tails brushed by the floor as well. They approached him slowly.

Sasuke shifted slightly in his futon but without much luck. The bandages restricted his mobility and the sharp pain shooting up and down his body was not helping much either. The footsteps quickened and Sasuke found himself being supported by two strong hands.

Naruto had crouched down to help him sit up.

Aah, that familiar warmth again.

He looked up and was immediately trapped by Naruto's still-bright, yet not-so-innocent gaze. The red which tinted his previously pure-blue eyes almost appeared like sins which scarred the man. But as if to reassure Sasuke that he was still Naruto, the blond smiled widely. Sasuke smiled lightly in return.

Once Sasuke was propped up against the wall and comfortable, Naruto and Sakura kneeled next to him. Serene silence flitted about the room as Sasuke examined the pair quietly. All three of them had suffered, to some degree, the damages of their battle. Sakura did not seem to be too hurt which was relieving to Sasuke.

He himself had scraped by with a few broken ribs, a fractured leg, a slight concussion as well as a few nasty gashes and cuts. Luckily for him, Tsunade and Sakura were able to fix him up.

At first glance, Sasuke had not seen the extent of the damages that Naruto had received. He had been simply too absorbed in those eyes, those hauntingly beautiful eyes of his… But now he could feel his heart clench and hurt by just looking at him. He had a bandaged head and wads of gauze stuck onto his cheeks. His neck was carefully wrapped in clean linen and so were his hands. The bandages spiraled up the length of his arms, the rest hidden away from sight by long sleeves.

Some of the bandages were being stained by red. Neither his nor Sakura's bandages were wet with blood.

"Naruto… What happened?" he asked quietly.

He waved it off, a bit stiffly, with his right hand. "It's not too bad. All of us got beaten up pretty badly."

A small part of Sasuke wanted to say, "Well, yeah, Sakura and I aren't still bleeding to death," but he withheld the comment. Instead, he opted for, "You can't expect me to believe you by just saying that, moron. What's wrong?"

The Uchiha was not particularly pleased when Naruto did not answer him but chose, instead, to stare right back at him with his stubborn gaze.

"Why are you lying to me?" Sasuke's voice rose minutely.

"Bastard, just leave it alone, it's nothing to worry about," Naruto bared his sharp teeth as he gritted out his sentence. "Besides…" Naruto shifted nervously. "There are other things to discuss."

Sasuke scowled darkly at his avoidance of the subject. "What could be so important then?"

Naruto swallowed thickly. "I—I'm not what you guys think I am."

"What do you mean, Naruto?" Sakura looked at him incredulously.

"You know how you've always thought I was one of those humanoid pets?" he looked up at them shiftily.

Sasuke raised an eyebrow.

"I'm… actually human."

"You—What?" Sakura exclaimed.

The Uchiha's eyes widened.

"I'm human except I have the demon Kyuubi sealed in me. Tsunade-baa-chan was the one who did the sealing. The seal she placed on me wasn't so advanced, so my features… changed over the years. But I'm human," he saw their disbelieving faces. "I didn't realize it until today that I never told you guys. I mean, I learned of this right after Itachi banished me and you two were nowhere to be seen… And after that, all Hell broke loose so there was no time for me to explain…"

His blue eyes looked at them imploringly to seek their reactions.

Sasuke's mouth hung open slightly and Sakura was the same.

"It—It doesn't change anything, does it? I'm still Naruto…" he smiled weakly.

The dark-haired man was the first to recover. "Moron, of course it doesn't matter…"

"_Do I look like I care whether he's human or not? Male or not? Do I look like I care_?"

Inside her head, Sakura remembered the heated phrases Sasuke had yelled at her years ago. She smiled lightly. It was ironic now.

"You already said it. You're still Naruto. The Naruto we love," she said.

He looked relieved. "I'm glad…"

They allowed some quiet time to pass as the information settled in.

Suddenly, Naruto's face lit up, "I—" but that was as far as he got before Shizune interrupted them.

She nodded apologetically to the three of them, obviously knowing that she was intruding on something important, and politely told them, "Some of the elders have heard of your return, Sasuke, and they wish to see you."

The Uchiha pressed his lips together slightly but nodded. There was really no way he could reject the visit anyways. Sakura and Naruto stood up to relocate themselves on the other side of the futon.

Two plump, white-haired women and a man entered the room after Shizune and with creaking joints and complaining bones, they kneeled down by Sasuke. All three of them bowed politely at them.

The first woman smiled toothlessly at Sasuke and Sakura, completely disregarding Naruto. "Aaah," she sighed squeakily under her breath, "It is such a good thing to see that you are well, Sasuke and Sakura… You've worried these old bones with your sudden disappearance and all, don't you know?"

Sasuke, Sakura, and Naruto exchanged a short glance with each other before Sasuke spoke up. "We apologize for causing you trouble."

The woman laughed a bit shrilly. "No more problems now, you two are back…" she smiled at them benignly before asking, "Are you two feeling fine? Nothing has harmed you much, correct?"

"Yes, we are fine. All _three_ of us are fine," Sasuke replied with deliberate emphasis. The number was blatantly ignored.

Her female companion eyed Sasuke and Sakura coyly before adding in her two cents. "You two have grown to be so beautiful…"

Naruto sat there stiffly, not quite sure how to react to his sudden shunning. Sakura's hand twitched on her lap, wanting to place it over Naruto's and reassure him, but she could not. Under the sheets, Sasuke's hands clenched slightly.

"It will be wonderful seeing your children run around Konoha…" the second woman said whimsically. Her friend agreed readily.

Finally, the old man spoke up. "Sasuke-san, what will you do with your fox-pet? He has already served his purpose, has he not? Why keep him? He'll only get in the way," he inquired with a strange sparkle in his eye.

The two women squeaked in agreement. "Only get in the way of things…" they chattered and nodded.

Sasuke swallowed a bit difficultly and loosened his jaw to speak. By this time, Naruto had his hands balled into fists and his head bowed. Sakura's lips were drawn tightly together, not daring to speak. Her eyes held something dangerous.

"Elders," the dark-haired man spoke firmly, "I am feeling tired now. I must apologize for my hostility, but might I request that you come visit me at another time?"

"Aaah," they all exclaimed, quite alarmed. "But there is still so much to discuss with you about!"

"Please—" Sakura began, but her plea was drowned out by their squabbles.

"We know you must feel awkward discussing such things, but there's no such thing as rushing in making a family. You both are more than ready to start one, aren't you? As for that fox," the first woman said in her sickeningly sweet way, speaking as if Naruto did not exist, "it is simple to get rid of it if that is what is bothering you, Sasuke-kun…"

"Please leave," the politeness drained.

They were cut off from mid-sentence. Shock.

"Shizune-san?" Sasuke called out loftily, ignoring the effect his rudeness had inflicted on his elders.

"Yes?"

She had been standing close to the door the entire time.

"Please do me the favor of escorting them out," he said softly.

She glanced over at the three stiff figures before complying with the request. "Please come with me," Shizune bowed slightly, leading the three ruffled and insulted elders out of the room, leaving, once again, the three of them alone.

The door slid close.

Silence.

"I forgot," Sasuke forced himself to be calm, "about that small fact."

Naruto looked up. For a brief second, Sasuke and Sakura saw his eyes fade from a brilliant red back to its previous red-rimmed blue. Like lines being erased, his scars became less prominent.

"We'll need to discuss this…" Naruto said lowly, his voice rumbling through the room.

"They don't know," Sasuke suddenly realized.

"'They'?" Sakura asked, completely confused by the random fact.

"Everyone. Everyone except for Tsunade, Kakashi, Iruka, Jiraiya, Shizune, and us. No one knows," he said quickly, the words not making any sense to Sakura or Naruto.

"Sasuke, what are you talking about?" Naruto's voice had turned back to normal in his confusion.

He became slightly frazzled. "No one except for us knows the situation at hand right now… The fact that you, Naruto," he stopped and looked at him, "are human and that I," here he paused and looked slightly apologetically to Sakura, "only love you as a sister."

The silence enveloped them as they thought about it for a while. It was true. Not even their closest friends knew of these two facts.

"We need to tell them," Sakura began softly.

The two men nodded slightly.

Dark silence once more.

---

"Oh, Sakura! You're back! And you're safe, thank goodness!" Ino exclaimed as she stepped through the door. The two girls greeted each other cordially, swapping small scraps of gossip and news as they waited for the rest of their friends to enter.

One by one, their childhood friends entered the room until it was very much uncomfortably packed. They all chose a seat near Sasuke's futon and chattered amongst themselves for a few moments, occasionally asking about their health.

Kakashi, Iruka and Shizune had gone through the trouble of helping them call up all their childhood friends together .The news of their return was happily accepted and all of them were eager to check up on them.

The three adults poked their heads in momentarily to check up on the large group. Quickly, they exchanged a few glances but nodded and smiled. They knew what the three were going to do. They were confident that their friends would not reject them.

Iruka lingered by the door even though Kakashi and Shizune had already left to give them privacy. He looked at all three of them slowly. They had all grown up so quickly. For him, who had treated them as his own children, it was a bit difficult to see them be forced to mature so quickly.

But nonetheless…

He sighed contentedly and closed the door behind him.

Once everyone had settled down and their health was checked up upon more times than enough, Naruto attracted their attention.

"Everyone," he said and the room slowly went quiet. "We apologize to all of you," he bowed slightly. Sasuke and Sakura did so as well. "We have lied to you."

There were hushes and small interjections such as, "Oh, silly guys, what are you talking about? Nonsense!"

"You do not know our situation and we apologize for not having told you earlier," Sakura picked up, looking apologetic. She glanced over to Sasuke, waiting for him to continue.

"The things you know about us," Sasuke said softly, "some are false."

Now there were a few nervous shiftings throughout the room. What could they possibly be saying? they wondered to themselves.

"I married Sakura, but I do not love her that way," the Uchiha told them. "To me, Sakura is a sister, not a wife or a lover."

A few shocked murmurs rippled through the small group. How could that be?

Naruto did not want to wait any longer for the confusion to rise. He just wanted to get over with it. He had confidence that his friends would not see him differently for what he is, but for who he is… And yet, that sick doubt sat deep in his stomach, making him feel sick. Saying it once in a day in front of the people closest and dearest to him was nerve-wracking enough, but twice was incredibly hard.

"As for Naruto…" the dark-haired man continued, trying to make the group fall silent again. "He is not a creature."

"I'm human."

The room did fall silent this time. Deathly silent.

"Naruto… you…" Ino opened her mouth and closed it a few times. It appeared as if she could not make up her mind.

Hinata had her hand clapped over her mouth. The rest of them were equally shocked.

To learn of this now, and news this big as well, was simply… unbelievable.

Kiba was the first to laugh. "You're… You're kidding right? Just some kind of joke and we'll laugh about it later?" He looked around nervously. "Right guys?"

They looked at each other uncertainly.

"No," Sasuke said. "Not a joke. This is the truth. We thought it would be best if we told you instead of keeping you in the dark about it."

"We need your help, guys," Sakura said with a slightly pleading voice. "You realize what it is that we are doing, don't you?"

A few pairs of eyebrows furrowed, some lips turned down, a couple of hands clenched.

"We're defying the norms of society," blue eyes searched the few upturned faces. The rest of them had bowed their heads in deep thought.

"The rules of a man and woman marrying and carrying the bloodline, the rules of staying together forever, the rules of discarding a 'pet' after it has fulfilled its purpose, the rules of so, so many things…" dark hair shielded Sasuke's eyes as he, too, bowed his head.

"We're breaking them," carefully bandaged, slim hands curled into loose fists in Sakura's lap.

"You know what will happen, won't you, guys?" the blond asked slowly.

They still wouldn't answer yet.

Sakura did not allow the silence to linger for too long, "They won't like it at all. But you are our friends. We need your support."

"Please help us," Sasuke looked up and gazed at the many faces of their companions.

Everyone's breath seemed to be withheld as the seconds ticked by silently.

"Naruto-kun! I'll be happy to help you guys!" Lee pumped his fist into the air.

Sakura let go of her breath.

Shikamaru was the next to reply to their request. "I'll help."

"You know that such trifle things won't keep me from supporting you guys…" Ino smiled lightly.

"E-Even though you are not w-who you appeared to be… You are s-still Naruto, Sasuke, and Sakura after all…" Hinata timidly added. She blushed in her boldness, hiding behind her sleeve a bit.

One by one, the voices answered back.

"What kind of friends would we be?"

"Of course we will assist you!"

"Don't worry, we'll stick by you."

Naruto's lips turned upward slowly until he was wearing a full-fledged grin. Saskue's features relaxed from its previously stiff position. Sakura looked so grateful at the positive feedback.

"Thank you… Thank you so much."

---

"Sakura, are you sure about this?" Sasuke asked the pink-haired woman tentatively.

She looked at him serenely and nodded, smiling. "Yes, I'm sure."

"Sakura-chan…" Naruto began quietly, his eyes filled with worry. "You don't have to do this if you don't want to, Sakura-chan."

Slowly, she shook her head, pink strands of hair shifting in the gentle action. "It is my choice."

The dark-haired man sighed heavily. He leaned back on the wall again. "They won't like this. You'll be an outcast. They won't accept you for who you are, Sakura. You know that fully."

"I understand," she stated simply.

"Do you not need more time to think about this? It has not even been a day…"

"I need no more time, Sasuke-kun. I am ready."

Sasuke closed his eyes and tilted his head back. "You will not regret?"

"No. I will not regret this," Sakura replied. "Please, just sign it."

"Sasuke, if you do—!" the blond started.

He was hushed by Sakura. "Naruto, please. Please just let me make this decision."

He pressed his lips together worriedly and bowed his head.

"I'm sorry, Sakura."

"It was not your fault, Sasuke-kun. I am not mad at you. There would be no reason. I still love you, Sasuke-kun. But not the way that they perceive it. I love both of you so much. Please allow me to do something that would seal your happiness together," Sakura took hold of both their hands into her own.

"Sakura-chan…" Naruto brought the fragile hand up to his cheek and pressed it against his warm skin. "Thank you."

Sasuke squeezed her hand gently and looked at her. "Thank you."

She smiled gently, green eyes gazing at them with motherly love.

They sat like that for several minutes before Sakura's hands were released and she proffered a scroll and ink brush to Sasuke. He took it slightly hesitantly before unrolling it and dipping the tip of the brush into the prepared ink. With utmost carefulness, he signed it.

The official decree of divorce.

---

They were right. They did not like the news one bit. The village was enraged.

What a foolish thing to do! The Uchiha couple, the perfect couple, divorced! Foolishness! Blasphemy! Vile! Evil! Ridiculous!

And their tempers were not soothed the next day either.

It had been their decision to tell the village. There was no use in keeping it a secret anyways. More trouble was involved if they didn't tell the village. Their friends were there to support them. A mass mob of angry people could be difficult to deal with…

They had called for an impromptu meeting at the village square that afternoon. Surprisingly, despite the fact that they were now hated, a majority of the village showed up. Be it simple curiosity or the simple wanting to sneer at them, the village had arrived.

A small stage was set up in the center of the square.

Nervously, Sasuke, Sakura, and Naruto, still bandaged and even limping slightly, walked up. Their friends were located near the stand in case a riot broke out. They knew that the village's reaction would not be as mellow or accepting.

An angry silence fell over the village as they noticed the three of them standing up there. A few hateful whispers and points flitted throughout the huge mass of pressed-together people.

Naruto felt his neck become wet with sweat. His ears were pricked up in anxiousness. Sakura and Sasuke were not all that far off from his state either.

"Villagers of Konoha," Sasuke addressed them, ignoring the few hisses that immediately erupted from the group, "We have something to announce today."

The obvious signs of rolling their eyes and rude hand gestures were seen. The infamous Uchiha name had sunken so very low within the span of three days. And yet, Sasuke couldn't have cared less.

"You have heard, yesterday, of my divorce with Haruno Sakura," he had to stop when the crowd erupted with angry jeers and shouts. Sasuke's eyebrows furrowed. He only waited for a few moments before he continued, knowing the crowd would be curious to know the rest of his speech. The awful curiosity of humans always made them stop talking. "Then who," he started, barely heard over the insults, "will I be spending the rest of my life with?"

The noise level died down a bit when Sasuke turned around from the crowd and held out his hand slightly for Naruto. The blond looked deep into his eyes, searching for reassurance. This was dangerous.

Sasuke nodded slightly. Naruto took his hand and wrapped his fingers around his tightly. Sakura watched the crowd carefully. They were treading dangerous grounds right now.

The pair turned to face the crowd again.

It was quiet again.

"Him."

The monosyllable word rang through the silent square.

"This is who I will be spending the rest of my life with," Sasuke stated.

A harsh laugh.

"An animal?"

A rough jeer.

"You'll spend the rest of your life with that piece of crap?"

A snort of disbelief.

"Whatever would your parents say if they saw you now, Uchiha brat?"

Sasuke's hand tightened around Naruto's slightly.

"Sasuke…" he whispered slightly, hoping that he would not lose his cool.

"He is no animal," Sasuke's voice did not shake. His eyes had suddenly gone cold, void.

Amused laughter.

"You have forgotten," the dark-haired man said loudly. "The child whom you used to hit and abuse so, so many years ago. Because he was different. Because he held 'Kyuubi,' the Nine-Tailed Demon. You don't remember him, do you? He disappeared one day, do you remember now? Disappeared."

Stunned silence. A few of the villagers exchanged looks.

"Had he died? Well, you would not have cared anyways. As long as the nuisance was gone, correct?" Sasuke stopped here, pressing his lips together. "He stands here. This is he who has the demon inside of him. He is human. Do you remember now?"

Sakura became scared. This deliberate riling up of the crowd. What was Sasuke trying to achieve?

"He is alive and well. Always have…" Sasuke trailed off, staring at the restless crowd below him.

"_MONSTER_!"

The first attack.

"_DEMON_!"

The second assault.

It was Naruto's turn to clench Sasuke's hand. Sasuke squeezed back reassuringly. He smiled lightly before his expression turned bitterly cold. It made Naruto shiver in the sudden wrath that enveloped Sasuke.

"_I don't care what you say!_"

A collective gasp.

"This is my choice and my life. I don't care what you think, what you say, what you do. It's my choice to love the people I love, do the things I do, live the way I live!" Sasuke yelled at the people. "I don't care what the hell you say about me because I—wont't—change!"

And all Hell did break loose now.

People began to push and to yell, throw things and scream, rage and hurt.

Ridiculous.

Foolish.

Idiocy.

Don't.

Don't believe it.

From their respective locations, Sasuke, Sakura, and Naruto searched for their friends in the angry mass of people.

_Count of three_, Sasuke mouthed.

_One._

_Two._

_Three_.

They disappeared, carried by their friends, hindered by their own wounds. They leapt onto rooftops, walls, treetops, escaped.

Gone.

Mission accomplished.

---

Slow, lazy spirals of smoke drifted up from Jiraiya's pipe up onto the ceiling. He watched critically as Tsunade removed and inspected Naruto's wounds. Though he pretended not to care, he was peeking at Tsunade and Naruto from the corners of his eyes as his pipe huffed out steady streams of ashes.

Tsunade frowned and lines appeared on her forehead as she changed the remaining bandages on Naruto's wounds.

"Tsunade-baa-chan, what's wrong?" he asked her.

She shook her head. "They're still not completely healed yet. They're not starting to close yet."

Naruto looked away from her honest face. Even Sasuke and Sakura's worst wounds were beginning to heal themselves. He clenched his hands. "Baa-chan, isn't there anything you can do?"

Again, she shook her head. "Nothing that I am doing is helping, Naruto… I wish, I wish there was something I could do… If only there was something I could do…" She pressed one of his hands between her own. "Naruto, I'm so sorry."

He looked back at her. Her brown, honest eyes. He smiled at her. "It is not your fault."

She squeezed harder. _You know it is, Naruto_, her eyes seemed to say, but she did not say it out loud.

"The effects—they're irreversible… Naruto… You're literally eating yourself inside out. The power that I have granted you so long ago are going against you now…" Tsunade said softly. "Your healing speed will decrease until the point of going backwards and wounding you even more…"

Tsunade had forewarned Jiraiya of the possibilities of such things happening to the blond. He didn't want to believe it at first, but here he was shown the evidence of such theories coming true. His eyebrows furrowed in worry. After all, even though he was a brat, Naruto had grown on him.

Naruto pretended not to have heard her and instead, thanked her, "Thank you, baa-chan, for tending my wounds."

"Naruto—" she started.

He cut her off. "Please do not tell Sasuke or Sakura. I don't want them to know."

"But Naruto…" she stopped when she saw his firm gaze.

"Please don't."

She looked away from his imploring eyes.

"Promise me, please?" he pleaded.

"Naruto, I can't promise you that. They should know. They really must…" Tsunade replied.

"For me, please… Don't tell them…" he persisted, ignoring her reasoning.

Jiraiya closed his eyes. He was a stubborn brat. There was no way to change his mind.

Tsunade's brows furrowed even further. "You… fool," she muttered, pulling him into a loose embrace. She closed her eyes.

"Thank you, Tsunade-baa-chan…"

---

Naruto cried out loud in pain.

Sasuke's hand jerked away. "What's wrong?"

"N-Nothing," the blue-eyed man replied a bit too quickly.

The Uchiha grabbed Naruto's arm before he could turn away. He pulled his sleeve up. The bandages were still there. A faint tint of red seeped through the white linen.

"What is this?" he accused Naruto firmly.

He looked away. "It's nothing! I just hurt myself again the other day."

"Don't lie to me, Naruto. This is the same wound you got from the battle! All our wounds are practically healed by now. Why hasn't Tsunade healed yours yet?"

Naruto glared at Sasuke. "It's nothing!" he snatched his arm away.

"Naruto!" he called after the blond. "Stop it!"

Sasuke grabbed the back of his robes and pulled him back, forcing him to face him again.

"Tell me what's the matter, Naruto."

Their steely gaze did not falter for many moments.

"I told you already, nothing."

He got his breath knocked out of him when Sasuke roughly pushed him up against the wall.

"If I ask you and you don't tell me then I'll have to force it out of you, Naruto. Tell me," he growled.

He tried to escape futilely and ultimately gave up. He slumped against the wall, not wanting to look at Sasuke's face.

"Why won't you tell me?" his voice softened to one of the gentlest concern.

Naruto looked at him finally. He reached behind Sasuke's head and pulled him in, kissing him deeply.

The Uchiha was shocked by the sudden act of affection but returned the kiss.

It was a short kiss.

Naruto pulled away and pushed Sasuke away.

"Don't make me. Please don't make me."

They both stood there with their hands by their sides, their gaze not meeting again.

"I don't want to lie to you, Sasuke."

"I don't want you to keep secrets from me."

"… I'm sorry."

He walked away from Sasuke, leaving him standing there alone.

---

It was too early. He knew that. Perhaps Tsunade was right. He was a fool.

Either a fool or brave.

He chose the former.

Naruto stepped out into the streets and looked around. Though the palace had plenty of breathing space, he wanted to be outside, outside for once. He hadn't been able to get out of the cramped confines of the palace since they'd returned from their rescue.

Never mind the fact that it had only been two weeks. Never mind the fact that Sasuke told Naruto not to go out until the village had simmered down. Never mind the fact that Tsunade had warned him about going out so soon. Never mind all that. He just wanted to get out.

What a vast mistake that was.

It began with a whisper.

"_That's him_."

A mouthed whisper.

"_Over there! He's over there!_"

A muttered word.

"Monster."

They grew louder.

"Get away, monster."

And more cruel.

"Why don't you go crawl back to whatever hell-hole you came out of?"

More vicious.

"You're the reason why they split up. You're the one who made them divorce. All your fault."

More hurtful.

"Monster, you're nothing but a little toy to be thrown away."

And then a punch came out of nowhere.

He had not even seen it. His reflexes were suddenly slow.

He fell to the ground.

His hand came back with blood when he wiped his cheek.

Dust picked up. More people were coming. Naruto found that he could not stand up, couldn't defend himself. His limbs were not functioning for him anymore.

Were these the effects of Kyuubi's destructive powers?

He braced himself.

The hits never came.

Slowly, he looked up.

Neji and Lee stood in front of him. The man's fist was caught in Neji's hand and he was restrained by Lee at the neck. Next to them, Hinata was offering her hand to him. Naruto stood up with the help of the girl.

"Are you harming our friend?" Lee asked them lowly. "I cannot allow that."

The man opened his mouth angrily. He was about to say something but Neji glared at him.

"Don't," he said. "If you mess with him, you'll have to deal with the entire Hyuuga clan."

"Don't mix with low-life like him, Hyuuga-san!" an anonymous person yelled out.

Pale eyes immediately drilled into the eyes of the person.

He was silenced.

"We aren't afraid!" another foolishly-brave person yelled out.

"Then I'm afraid you'll have to deal with the Nara clan as well," Shikamaru stepped out into the streets, his head tilted down as he looked at the crowd.

"The Inuzuka clan isn't fun to mess around with either, don't you know?" Kiba leapt down from a nearby rooftop.

"Can't forget the Yamanaka clan," Ino walked past the crowd. The mob parted ways for her. "Are you okay, Naruto?" she asked and took out a handkerchief for him. He nodded numbly.

"Or the Akimichi clan for that matter," Chouji followed Ino slowly.

The crowd shuddered slightly as Shino seemed to shift into view. "I assure you that the Aburame clan is not at all pleasant when needed…" he said quietly.

Naruto smiled weakly at his friends. Of course he could depend on them.

"Any objections?" Neji asked the crowd.

They backed away.

"Any objections?" he asked again. "None?"

They were silent.

"Then get out of here and leave Naruto alone," he said evenly.

The villagers were quick to depart from the scene.

The group huddled around Naruto.

"Naruto, you've got to be careful!" Ino scolded him gently. "You could have been hurt…"

"Why were all of you here?" the blond asked shakily. He was still worrying about his reflexes.

"We knew Sasuke's orders and everyone else's warnings wouldn't keep someone as wild as you inside the palace," Kiba told him.

"Sorry for not noticing the man's objective sooner. Had we realized it, you would not have gotten hurt!" Lee said.

Naruto shook his head. "No, it's okay. I'm fine…" he smiled just to reassure them.

"You're so troublesome. Next time stay inside. The villagers won't keep Neji's advice in mind for too long," Shikamaru grumbled.

He hung his head slightly. "I'm sorry."

Chouji spoke up. "We don't blame you, Naruto. Being stuck inside for so long can drive anyone crazy…"

"W-We just don't want you to be h-hurt…" Hinata shyly supplied.

"It isn't like we can keep guard for you forever…" Shino added in quietly.

"I know. I'm sorry."

"It's fine… Just watch out next time," Neji said. A pause. "Here comes Sasuke."

"Naruto!" the Uchiha cried, slightly startled to see all of them standing there. Sakura chased out after him. "Moron! You—" he stopped in mid-sentence when he saw the forming bruise on the blond's cheek.

"What happened?" Sakura asked hurriedly as she joined the group.

"A small scuffle, nothing big," Ino told her.

Sakura did not look too convinced. Sasuke was nowhere near believing her either.

"Thank you for looking after him," the Uchiha bowed slightly.

Kiba grinned. "What are friends for, after all?"

Sasuke smiled in return. "I'm sorry for bothering all of you like this though. I'm sure you all have other things to do other than sit outside the palace doors."

"It i-isn't too much trouble, Sasuke-san…" Hinata's stuttering and deep blush accompanied her sentence.

The Uchiha bowed again. "Thank you for your help."

"It's nothing," Shikamaru waved it off.

Sasuke glared at Naruto slightly. "I'll make sure he's stuck inside until things boil down. Please, everyone, return to your homes and priorities. I do not want to bother you all."

One by one, they nodded and bade them good-bye, going in their respective directions.

"Moron," Sasuke sighed. "Must you worry us like this?"

Naruto frowned. "You know fully that I do not like being trapped inside the palace walls."

"Still, Naruto!" Sakura cried.

"Fine…" the blond muttered quietly. "I'll stay inside for now…"

The dark-haired man stared at Naruto suspiciously for a long while before looking away. "Let's go inside. It'll be cold soon…"

---

"Naruto?" Sasuke called out softly.

"Hm?" Naruto replied. He was leaning against one of the wooden beams outside. His legs dangled out in front of him. The hallway was elevated from the garden in front of him.

A familiar jingle caught his ears.

"I found it in your clothes. You still keep it with you?"

The old collar Naruto used to wear dangled from Sasuke's fingers.

"Aah," he nodded to confirm the fact.

Sasuke crouched down next to him. He kissed him on the cheek.

Naruto smiled at him.

The crickets were starting to sing their nightly song.

"Do you think it'll ever end?" he asked.

"… It will. One day it will," Sasuke replied.

"I hope so. I'm already tired of this."

The Uchiha sat down as well and leaned on Naruto. "I am too."

Comforting silence.

"Why is it so hard, Sasuke?"

"I don't know."

Naruto looked at the garden contemplatively.

"Is it worth the trouble?"

"What is?"

"This love."

Sasuke snorted.

"Of course, moron."

"Bastard."

"Of course, moron," he repeated.

They laughed.

For that one instant, nothing else mattered except for each other. Life had finally unraveled to this point. As dark and dreary as it was, they were happy.

Too much had happened over the short span of a few weeks.

Sasuke had not asked about their battle that day. About Itachi's death.

Naruto had not asked about his time spent at Orochimaru's. About his reason of being there.

They had silently agreed to not speak of it. It would taint their happiness. And all they wanted to be now was happy.

And they were.

"Sasuke?"

"Hn?"

"I'm thirsty. Fetch me a cup of water please?"

"You're so lazy, Naruto."

"I know. Please?"

Sasuke placed the collar between Naruto's hands. Surprisingly cool. He kissed him lightly on the lips this time. "Fine."

"Thank you."

He stood up and walked away slowly.

This seemingly never-ending battle.

Naruto really was tired of it. He wanted to win it. But it was a village against two. So difficult to fight it, but he didn't want to give up. Never give up.

Suddenly he was tired.

All he wanted to do was to close his eyes and rest for a bit. Sasuke will be back later and he'll wake up. Probably splash the cup of water right on his face.

Naruto snickered lightly.

It was evening now. It would be fine to fall asleep right now.

His eyelids grew heavy. He closed them.

In his hands, he clutched the old collar loosely.

So many memories now.

He was happy. All the years spent in confusion and rush.

He was happy now that Sasuke was with him.

Content with life.

A sudden pain clenched around his heart. The regular 'doki-doki' beating of the organ was no longer regular now. Erratic beats overtook it.

He coughed harshly. He could not feel it, but his lips were sprayed with blood.

It will all end soon, this chaos.

He sighed lightly.

Breathing so quietly, almost as if he didn't exist now.

In, out, in, out.

Gently breathing as if to go against the irregular 'do-do-doki-ki-doki' of heart.

He pressed his eyelids together closer.

He knew that the battle would be won no matter what.

He smiled lightly.

His hand slacked.

The old, familiar jingle of the bell on the collar was heard as it fell to the floor.

---

**A/N: Okay, here's the note since people always rush at the beginning. This, to clarify, is the**_** last**_** chapter. There will be no epilogue simply because I'm **_**so**_** darn tired of this thing. I'm happy that it's finally over and I'm sure that Nadra is as well.**

**But everyone, thank you for sticking with us for so long (seven months!) and supporting us for so long! Even though this story had considerably degraded, fallen into the point of no return, and I do not consider this a very good story, I still appreciate everyone for their patience and willingness to go through this with us.**

**I'm fully aware that you guys are probably not in the mood to listen to me being all grateful and stuff. You guys are probably going, "What the HECK just happened?" right? Yeah, and half of you probably want to rip my head off for being such a mean person.  
**

**Alright, I'll leave off that stuff. But if you guys have anything to ask me about this chapter or the entire story in general, feel free to drop me a PM or leave a review here. I'll answer your questions. But before you do, please know these things!: 1) the ending is supposed to be this vague, 2) I will NOT write a sequel or epilogue to this no matter how much you want me to, and 3) **_**no**_** I will **_**not**_** explain to you want happens at the end of this story. I want you guys to take the ending in your own way. I left it open-ended for a reason, so have fun with that. If someone asks me, "What happened to Naruto?!" I'll just shrug and say "I 'unno!"**

**On a happier note though, Nadra and I are currently working on two new stories. One will be decidedly more cheerful and upbeat than DNS while the other one will be darker and angst-y. I think we decided to post up the happier one up first. XD**

**Okay then, this A/N is about as long as my chapter! Thank you again for sticking around, and thank you, Nadra, for being such an awesome beta-reader!**


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